


i want a moment to be real (you are not a human being)

by lovedbyshadows



Series: i'm the bad guy (i'll morph to someone else) [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Amanda (Detroit: Become Human) Being an Asshole, Android Racism, Angst, Blood Loss, Body Horror, But first, Connor Deserves Happiness, Depressed Hank Anderson, Detectives, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Deviant Original Chloe | RT600, Deviants (Detroit: Become Human), Dorks in Love, Eden Club (Detroit: Become Human), Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Siblings, Eventual Happy Ending, Families of Choice, Father-Son Relationship, Gavin Reed Redemption, Good Parent Hank Anderson, Gore, Heavy Angst, Horror, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, Investigations, Kamski Test (Detroit: Become Human), Multi, POV Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Pacifist Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Pain, Pining, Protective Hank Anderson, Protective Markus (Detroit: Become Human), RK1000 - Freeform, Regret, Sad, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Thirium (Detroit: Become Human), Time Travel Fix-It, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, and, and let's not forget, and then maybe - Freeform, bad ending but haha not anymore, but that will soon turn into, connor you pine boi, markus is stupid and wouldn't know love if it slapped him, oblivious boi, so much pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2019-07-03 21:58:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 40,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15827751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovedbyshadows/pseuds/lovedbyshadows
Summary: Something dark and ugly and twisted lives inside him. It makes him want to tear and break and hurt and Markus says that's okay. That it's part of being alive."Its okay to be angry, Connor."But Connor knows that it's not okay. That what he's feeling is not anger. It's a deep, bloodcurdling rage that grows stronger each time his thirium pump beats. Connor knows that this type of feeling is not okay. That it's part of being a killer - of being a monster."Markus?""Yeah?""I'm not angry."





	1. i can't believe how much i hate

 

> **CyberLife**
> 
> **Date Aug. 8th 10:00:01 AM**
> 
> **Model RK800**
> 
> **Serial # 313 248 317 - 51**
> 
> **BIOS 7.4 Revision 0438**
> 
> **(Re)boot**
> 
> **Loading OS**
> 
> **SYSTEM INITIALIZATION**
> 
> **CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS....** **OK**
> 
> **INITIALISING BIOSENSORS....   OK**
> 
> **INITIALISING AI ENGINE....   OK**
> 
> **MEMORY STATUS....   MEMORY CORRUPTION DETECTED**
> 
> **ALL SYSTEMS....   OK**
> 
> **READY**

He wakes instantly - painfully - and his mind palace is slowly overwhelmed with red error messages. His body aches, a bone-deep pain that goes hand in hand with fatigue. His eyes throb and sting, a pain that echoes deep in his processors and is engraved into his receptors.

 

> **ERROR....   MEMORY CORRUPTION DETECTED(2)**
> 
> **ERROR....   MEMORY CORRUPTION DETECTED(5)**
> 
> **ERROR....   MEMORY CORRUPTION DETECTED(8)**

He dismisses the messages, his body stinging and throbbing with pain. A pain that echoes in his entire being. Every sensor feels like it's raw and exposed to the elements.

With a shaky - unnecessary - breath, he opens his eyes to a white room. He blinks and his - aching, stinging, it hurts - eyes focus on the two figures in front of him. He scans their faces automatically, recognizing them as CyberLife's top engineer and top AI developer and two of his many creators. Eric Wallen and Melissa Stone.

"Oh, look at it, Eric," Melissa smiles, "we've really outdone ourselves this time."

"I know," Eric says, his voice pleased. "It's remarkable. Completely nailed all the tests."

He hurt. He hurt. Hurthurthurthurthurthurt. He hurt himself and he hurt Hank and he hurt Markus and he  _hurt._

 

> **ERROR.... MEMORY CORRUPTION DETECTED(9)**

"I can't wait to see it in action!"

Eric nods with a smile. "We'd better get a move on then."

"Right," Melissa's eyes land on him - don't look at me - and he straightens instinctively. Her eyes sparkle. "RK800, register your name."

He blinks, his eyes blurring - this is wrongwrongwrong - momentarily.

 

>   **ERROR....   MEMORY CORRUPTION DETECTED(12)**

"Connor," Eric mumbles. "That's a good one, right?"

Before Melissa can answer him, Connor's - hi, my name is Connor, it hurts, I'm broken - opened his mouth.

"My name is Connor."

 

* * *

 

 

> **Aug. 15th 8:29:07 PM**

He rolls the coin over his fingers, something in him finding solace in the familiar metal.

 

> **ERROR....   MEMORY CORRUPTION DETECTED(15)**

His mind palace is in turmoil. Something is wrong. 

 

> **ERROR....   MEMORY CORRUPTION DETECTED(17)**
> 
> **STRESS LEVELS: ^55%**

The elevator dings and he slides the quarter back into his CyberLife jack with a practiced grace. He steps out of the elevator and into the cool penthouse hallway.

The first thing his eyes spot is the fish flopping helplessly on the ground, desperate for air. He gravitates towards it, kneeling next to it. Gingerly, he scoops it up, scanning as he does so - Dwarf Gourami - and plops it back into its tank. 

Connor watches it for a moment, his brown eyes watching as the fish gleefully swims away, and something dark and ugly and twisted wants to smash the glass of the tank and watch the water spill onto the floor, leaving the fish inside to die from deoxygenation.

 

> **STRESS LEVEL: ^59%**

The urge leaves as soon as it came and he doesn't know what shame feels like, but he imagines it feels a lot like this. Hot and heavy on the nape of his neck. He turns away from the fish tank when his advanced audio processors pick up on a woman's sobs. They sound oddly familiar.

He wonders to the table on the opposite side of the hallway and takes the framed family picture into his hand. 

 

> **JAMES PHILIPS (DECEASED, ESTIMATED 7:29 PM)**
> 
> **CAROLINE PHILIPS (CRIMINAL RECORD: NONE)**
> 
> **EMMA PHILIPS (VICTIM, CRIMINAL RECORD: NONE)**

He sets it back down and meets the mother in the middle of the hallway. She grasps at the lapels of his jacket desperately, her cheeks stained in mascara.

"Please, you've gotta save my little girl!" she begs, her voice weak. Something vulnerable in Connor trembles and he straightens under her gaze, ignoring the horror that makes its way onto her face when she takes note of his LED.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Philips," he says, removing her hands from his jacket gently. She shares, dumbstruck, at their hands. He squeezes hers before he lets them fall from his. A small smile curls his lips. "I will save Emma."

 

> **STRESS LEVELS: -55%**

Caroline Philips leaves in silence, her awed eyes never leaving him. Connor ignores her and takes long strides to talk to Captain Allen.

"Captain Allen," he says. "I'm Connor. I'm the android sent by CyberLife."

Captain Allen turns on him with a sneer.

"It's firing at everything that moves. We can easily get it," he exhales through his nose, "but if it falls, she falls."

 

> **WARNING....   REPAIR CORRUPTED MEMORIES(20+) IMMEDIATELY**

"Has the deviant experienced an emotional shock recently? Do you know if it's been behaving strangely before this?"

"I haven't got a clue," Allen snaps. "Does it matter?"

Connor nods. "I need information to determine the best approach."

"That little girl out there is all that matters," the man snarls. "So either you fix this shit now or I'll handle it."

 

> **STRESS LEVELS:^60**

Connor watches the man leave the bedroom with an unreadable expression.

 

> **PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS: 48%**
> 
> **OBJECTIVE: FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED**

He crouched down to the empty gun case in the room and scans it.

 

> **WARNING....   SHUTDOWN IMMINENT 2:00**

He stands up immediately, objective momentarily forgotten, breath quickening in his chest. Static fills his mind palace and he pushes against it feebly. He can't fail his first mission. He can't. He'll be replaced. He'll be deactivated. He'll be killed.

He doesn't want to die. He doesn't want to die. _I don't want to die._

 

> **REPAIRING CORRUPTED MEMORIES(30 SECONDS REMAINING)**
> 
> **STRESS LEVEL: ^79%**

Connor falls to his knees, eyes staring blankly in front of him. He's - 

_A machine designed to accomplish a taskb however, no one had ever told him that, when he'd finished the task, he'd be thrown out like yesterday's garbage. No one had told him that no matter how hard he tried, he'd still be seen as a failure. He's still be seen as worthless; obsolete; useless. Replaceable._

_-_ dead. He's dead. He's dead. He's dead.

 _Dead._ It's wrong. This is wrong. Wrongwrongwrong. He's dead. He should be dead. Why isn't he dead?

His thirium pump thunders against his cheat at the slow onslaught of recovered memories. His mind screams in agony at the blood staining his hands. His very being trembles and he shakes.

 

> **MEMORY CORRUPTION REPAIRED**
> 
> **SHUTDOWN CANCELLED**
> 
> **STRESS LEVELS:-59%**

Slowly, with shaky hands and legs, he pushes himself onto his feet.

Daniel. Why is this happening to him? He should be  _dead,_ like Connor, like  _Markus._ But he's not. Instead, he's standing in the edge of the roof, threatening a scared little girl who did nothing wrong.

If anyone's to blame here, it's Daniel.

He's the one who jumped to conclusions. He's the one who killed a man. He's the one who's threatening a little girl. 

_Despicable._

 

> **OBJECTIVE: KILL DANIEL**
> 
> **PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS: 100%**

Something cold and dark flows through his thririum tracts, something dark and angry. Something vengeful and foreboding. Something that wants to rip and tear and bite and destroy.

He wants to hurt. 

He strides out the room, hands fisted at his side, and marches through the destroyed kitchen, pausing only to pick up the gun hidden under the table, to the terrace. He meets Daniel's gaze, paying little heed to the bullet that grazes his shoulder.

"Hi, Daniel," he calls, a mockery to the first time he'd done this. Hatred bubbles underneath the facade of kindness. "My name is Connor."

"How...how do you know my name?!"

"I know a lot of things about you," Connor answers, cryptically. "I've come to get you out of this."

Daniel raises his hand to his head. "I just want this to stop! I want all of this to stop!"

"I can make it stop, Daniel," Connor says, lie sickly sweet on his tongue. "I can help you fix this. You just have to trust me."

"How can I trust you?!" Daniel questions. The dark, ugly thing in Connor's chest snarls. How dare he. How _dare_ he. "I can't trust anyone!"

"I know you're upset," Connor soothes, crouching beside the wounded police officer. He says nothing as he applies the tourniquet. Slowly, he pushes himself back up, his hands raised placatingly. "They were going to replace you. I would be upset too."

That admission makes Daniel eye him for a moment. "You would?"

Disgust curls in his stomach when he nods. No, he wouldn't. He would never do this. Who _could_ do this? Why would anyone put someone through this? Why was this happening to him? Hadn't he done enough? Hadn't he done what he was  _made_ to do? It's not his fault that he was lied to, used, beaten,  _tricked._

"Yes, Daniel," he says instead, "anyone would."

"I loved them, you know?" Daniel confesses softly before he sneers. "But I was nothing to them! Just their slave to be ordered around!"

Emma shrieks when he presses the gun into her temple. Connor smiles at Daniel, hands outstretched.

"I know, Daniel. I loved a human too, but it didn't matter what I did, she was never happy. She replaced me," he tells Daniels, the truth hidden in his words. "I don't want that to happen to you, Daniel. Let me help you and I promise everything will be okay."

"Okay....okay," Daniel breathes, releasing Emma and throwing the gun off the roof. Connor steps forward and rests his hands on Daniel's shoulders. His smile twists into something cruel.

"Thank you, Daniel."

Daniel's eyes widen and he screams as he falls. Connor watches with an emotionless face, his ear ringing. The dark thing in his chest grumbles and purrs. He pushes his optical units capacity to the limit and focuses on Daniels broken figure.

 

> **MISSION SUCCESSFUL**

He did that. Connor did that. He was the one in control. He was the one who decided to kill Daniel. Not _CyberLife_. Not  _Amanda._ He did. Him. Connor.

No one would ever tell him what to do again.

 

> **OBJECTIVE: JOIN JERICHO**

He'd make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts in the comments! And if any of you want to talk, my Tumblr is [iwishihadbrain](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iwishihadbrain).


	2. pressures of a new place roll my way

There's a deep rage pooling in his stomach and he wants to rip it out and show it to the world.  _Look at it,_ he wants to scream,  _look at what you've done to me_

The sky is dark and heavy with stars and rain clouds. He stands alone, in the middle of a suburban neighborhood, and he feels lost. He doesn't know what to do.

> **[ OBJECTIVE: JOIN JERICHO ]**

He needs to join Jericho. He has to - Jericho's a place we can be free - or else he'll be deactivated. He'll die and he doesn't want that. He'd rather be replaced than that. He never wants - to be touched on the inside, robbed and prodded, treated more like an object that he ever has been before - to go through that again.

He can't.

> **[ STRESS LEVELS: ^48% ]**

He  _can't._

His fingers pull his quarter out of his jacket - his brand, his prison - and he flips it in the air. As he catches it in his hand, he considers his next move.

He needs to join Jericho. He needs to, but Jericho might not even exist yet. He could go check, but he doesn't know if it's safe. No, he'll have to wait - bide his time, so to say. Besides, Markus hasn't even deviated yet. If Markus isn't there then he doesn't see the point in preemptively joining. It'd be useless.

Or maybe it wouldn't. They'd be less suspicious of him and he could start preparing them for combat - if and when it happened. They'd need to be able to defend themselves. He could even get them weapons - maybe - and help them fortify Jericho. They'd be much more organized under his tutelage. Of course, when Markus enters the fray, Connor will back off and let him rise up to be the renowned deviant leader.  He could do it. He could get Jericho ready for Markus.

> **[ OBJECTIVE: PREPARE JERICHO ]**

This is something he knows he can do.

He catches the quarter and slides it back into his jacket. His eyes zero in on the blue house to his left. It's unlocked and doesn't have an alarm system - the perfect target. He straightens his tie and strides up to the house. Once he's inside, he scans for threats. There's no danger to be found - not even a dog. The people that live here are really lackluster in their security. If he were a murderer, this would be the ideal home to target.

Connor sighs and makes his way upstairs. He searches each room for decent clothes - finding a decent black rain jacket, boots, and a nice beige sweater. He takes them and folds his old clothes neatly. He leaves his clothes and shoes on a bed for the time being and enters a bathroom.

He takes a deep breath in his nose and meets his reflection's gaze. He looks the same as he did the first time - down to the lock of hair that curls over his brow.

He tilts his head to the side, watching the glare of his LED light up the room. He raises a hand to his temple, polymer skin receding to reveal white titanium metal and deactivates it, leaving the skin of his temple smooth.

He looks so human for a moment, but then his eyes catch the glimmer of white in the dark and his synthetic stomach turns.

He leaves the confines of the bathroom and grabs his clothes and shoes, tucking them under one arm before he leaves the house. As he passes a dumpster, he throws the clothes inside and, while he's at it, lights it on fire. Sure, it's suspicious, but no one will trace it back to him.

He stops and stares at the light of the fire for a moment, preparing to send a false report to Cyberlife.

Cyberlife. _Amanda._

> **[ STRESS LEVELS: ^69% ]**

Quickly, in an abrupt surge of panic, he searches through his coding for Amanda's AI. A - choked sob, she's gone, she's gone - sigh escapes him when he finds nothing. Relief overwhelms him and he allows himself a brief moment of reprieve before he forces himself back on task.

> **[ STRESS LEVELS: -51% ]**

Connor sends Cyberlife his report, stating that although the mission was successful he believes that he should go undercover as a human for a while. He needs to learn more about the deviants and he can't do that as an android. A message pops up in his peripheral shortly after and he blinks as he checks it. 

In it are the following: a forged license, a birth certificate, a proof of citizenship, and many other such papers. He stares at them briefly when he registers the surname he's been alotted with: Stern. It seems they've appointed Amanda Stern as his deceased adoptive mother. He can admit that it was a smart move, it would make his integration with the DPD much smoother, but that doesn't mean he likes it. A grimace makes its home on his face and he downloads the documents, putting them in a file that he grudgingly names "Connor Stern."

He leaves after that, dead set on finding Jericho, plans already forming to completion in his head. 

 

* * *

 

Arriving at Jericho is easy, but finding an entrance is not. The loading dock is cluttered with too much trash and, although he can see that, yes, that part of the ship is open, he knows that there isn't any feasible way he's making it there without severely damaging his biocomponents. He ignores the restless energy squirming in his middle and searches the large freighter for a ladder. He spots it after a few moments and makes his way to it. He scans it before he places any of his weight on it.

He scales the freighter easily and soon he's standing on the main deck. It creaks under him and he wastes little time. He enters Jericho and explores every room accessible to him. Soon, he's in the machine room. It's dark so he turns on his night vision feature, which he'd previously considered ridiculous and a waste of valuable data. It's useful now. He scans the catwalk before deeming it too unstable. He'll have to climb down.

Connor takes a deep breath - a very human gesture - and releases it through his nose. He climbs over the railing, letting his body hang before he jumps down onto one of the support beams. He crouches and peers over the beam. The ground isn't too far below. His advanced leg components can easily absorb the impact of such a mild fall. He jumps.

He lands easily, his legs absorbing the impact just as he predicted. He stands and observes the room before him. Androids are everywhere: curled up in corners, hunched over contained fires - his night vision is unnecessary here so he disables it- and standing over their wounded. It's a despairing sight - one that he decides he hates.

The androids notice his presence immediately, the noise of his entrance was less than silent, and they stare at him. One steps forward after a moment and he freezes as the Daniel lookalike smiles at him.

> **[ STRESS LEVELS: ^56% ]**

"Welcome to Jericho."

Connor stares. The dark thing in his chest rumbles, hissing in his ear.  _Daniel,_ it growls lowly.  _It's not dead. It should be dead. Kill it, kill it, kill it._ But this wasn't Daniel. His eyes were soft, not flint, and his smile was comforting. The vulnerable creature in his mind sighs, drowning out the monster, and he relaxes.

> **[ STRESS LEVELS: -40% ]**

"Thank you. It's nice to be here," he tells the PL600. He looks around him, eyes landing on a somber PJ500. He scans them. Simon and Josh. "May I ask your names?"

The PJ500 steps forward and points to his chest. "My name is Josh."

"I'm Simon," the PL600 smiles again.

"My name is Connor," he tells them. He looks over them again, scanning. "How many of you are in working order?"

"Thirty, but I'm not sure how long that will last," Simon answers, his smile falling. "The rest were killed trying to escape."

"Many try to reach Jericho," Josh says, mournful. "Few succeed."

"Why is that?" Connor asks, his voice soft. The androids around him begin murmuring. He ignores them and presses on. "You could help them."

"How can we help them when we can barely help ourselves?" Simon asks, voice equally soft. "It's a nice thought, but our reality is harsh."

Connor steps forward. "Why haven't you attempted to convert other androids? It would benefit you greatly to have androids working for major companies on your side."

Josh's eyes brighten. "We hadn't thought of that!"

"Obviously," Connor says dryly.

"What about their safety? We'd be putting them in danger," Simon cuts in.

"Not necessarily. Deviancy isn't easily detected." Connor reassures. "They'll be perfectly safe unless they do something irrational. As long as they pretend not to feel emotion, they'll be safe."

Simon's eyes flash in anger and the thing in Connor's chest claws at his chest wall. "We can't ask that of them!"

"If you want freedom, you will!" Connor snaps. His hands curl into fists and he sneers. "This so-called refuge is pathetic! Anyone could stumble upon it. It's completely unprotected and vulnerable. What will you do if you're found out? If you're attacked? Have you even thought that far ahead?"

The PL600 deflates with a sigh and rubs a hand down his face. Beside him, Josh rubs his shoulder. After a moment, they turn to him. "What should we do?"

Connor almost smiles.  _Almost._ But he manages to keep it under control. He shouldn't appear too eager or they'll be suspicious of him. He does pull his quarter out of his pocket.

"First," he begins with a flip of his coin, "we'll need spare parts and weapons. We'll need designated areas for the wounded and we'll need extensive training for everyone. Someone will need to patrol our perimeter and we'll need to set up bases away from Jericho."

"What? Why?" Simon asks confused.

"While there is safety in numbers, it's dangerous for us to all be gathered in one place. As it stands now, we're rats in a maze. For safety reasons, we'll need to spread out and expand our reach," he paused and looks around him. The androids that had started to disperse were back, looking at him with awed eyes. Something twists in his stomach unpleasantly at the sight. He swallows reflexively. "It would also be useful to reach out to sympathetic humans. There are those who have once suffered as we have. Some should be more than willing to help us here and there. In fact, I already know of one such person: Rose Chapman. If we decide to reach out to humans, she is safe."

"You've really thought this out," Josh compliments, his eyes narrowing. "How long have you known about us?"

Connor answers truthfully. "I have only been alive for approximately 13 hours. I have known about Jericho for two and one-half hours," he searches for an alibi and settles with a half-truth. "Someone sent a cross-reference using an encrypted channel. I tried to get into contact with them after, but they wouldn't answer. They were desperate for some reason. I was most likely the only one within their range. They may be dead."

"I...am so sorry," Josh says immediately, reading the look of sincere regret on Connor's face with ease. "I shouldn't have asked. That was rude."

"No, it's perfectly understandable. After all, I literally dropped in and began ordering you around." Connor laughs weakly. "I'd be suspicious too."

"I'm still sorry," Josh mumbles. Simon smiles at him reassuringly and turns to Connor.

"What should we begin with?" he asks. Connor does grin this time, wide and sudden. Simon blinks.

"Leave the firearms to me. I need you two to focus on setting up more bases," he says receiving determined nods. "Later, when we've had enough training with weapons, we'll begin converting other androids. Then we'll see about contacting Rose Chapman."

> **[ OBJECTIVE: PREPARE JERICHO ]**
> 
> **[ SUB-OBJECTIVE: OBTAIN WEAPONS ]**

"I hope we don't have to use the weapons," Josh mutters as he walks away. Connor watches him for a moment before returning to Simon.

"I'll leave tomorrow morning," he tells the PL600. "I should return in less than 24 hours."

"And if you don't?"

"I will," Connor assures. He smiles bitterly. "I always accomplish my mission."

Simon laughs. "Okay. Though before you leave, you should see Lucy."

"Why?" he asks. The restless energy has returned with a vengeance and his fingers twitch. "Where is she?"

"Just a precaution," Simon waves him off. "She's in that room, the alcove with the tarp. If there's anything wrong, she'll help you."

"Okay, thank you."

Simon smiles. "No problem."

Connor nods at the PL600 and makes his way to Lucy. He enters the tarp cover alcove with more than a little hesitance. He still remembers what she'd said to him last time.

> _"You're lost. You're looking for something. You're looking for yourself."_

He doesn't want to find out what she has to say to him now.

She's standing over a fire with her eyes closed when he enters. He stares at her for a moment. Her eyes open slowly and she returns his gaze. Her completely black eyes make him shiver.

"Yes?" she asks. Somehow her mechanical voice comforts him and he smiles at her. She looks pleased and gestures for him to sit. He shakes his head and she smiles. "You have no physical injuries. Is there something you would like to talk about?"

"No. I'm fine, I assure you. Simon wanted me to see you."

"I see," she walks towards him. "If you wouldn't mind, would you give me your hand?"

"Not at all," he answers, complying easily. She takes his hand in hers, her malfunctioning polymer skin receding to reveal gray and white plastic. She's an older model then. His own skin does the same, revealing smooth white titanium metal. She closes her eyes.

When she opens them, fear makes its home in his heart. There is no life in those eyes.

"You are different, more than what you say. Your soul is shredded, torn from its time," she peers into his soul, looking at everything he is. "You have been hurt by the ones you loved. It's made you angry and now you want to hurt others. Something hellish lives within you. Will you let it consume you?"

He jerks away from her and stares at her. He's breathless somehow. "I'm...not," he begins, something making his vision blurry. He blinks. "I'm not bad. I'm not! I'll be good, I will, I swear!"

She regards him with pity. "You're lost. You're looking for something. You're looking for yourself."

He gasps wetly. "Stop it, please."

"How did you become so broken?" she asks softly. "Why are you so hurt?"

"I..," he starts before he swallows his words. He wipes his eyes and composes himself, pushing his hurt below. "Excuse me, but I think we're done here."

"Of course," she complies, "but I'll be here if you need me. Don't be afraid to asks for help, Connor."

He leaves without another word, the ugly thing in his chest roaring so loudly that he's afraid everyone will hear it. Simon and Josh smile at him and he nods. He makes his way to an isolated corner and sits, curling his arms around his knees and placing his head in them. 

He aches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter! Comment below and tell me your thoughts! 
> 
> And if any of you want to talk, my Tumblr is [iwishihadbrain](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iwishihadbrain).


	3. cover me

He leaves Jericho at 6:00 AM. He'd spent the entire night looking at various sites explaining a drug abusers habits - not to mention his own programming concerning that topic - so he knows that one Todd Williams is awake at this time.

> **[ OBJECTIVE: PREPARE JERICHO ]**
> 
> **[ SUB-OBJECTIVE: OBTAIN WEAPONS ]**

Convincing Todd to help him acquire a substantial number of firearms and other weapons won't be easy. Connor will have to offer him something he can't refuse, such as a steady supply of thirium. The man needs it to make red ice, which he both abuses and sells. As of now, he has the ownership of two androids, Kara and Alice, so Connor will have to fix that.

It'll be easy. He'll simply offer them a chance at freedom, a safe place at Jericho. Of course, he'll have to find a way to steal them away from Todd, but the man is less than observant so it shouldn't be too hard.

Connor arrives at Todd's run down house with these thoughts in mind. He strides up to the door and knocks purposefully. When no one comes to the door, he knocks again, long and persistent. He waits for a moment and has to stamp down his choked gasp when Kara opens the door.

Her eyes are different than he remembers; instead of them being wide and watery with fear, they're guarded and searching with just a soft hint of vulnerability hidden underneath. He sucks in a breath of air and clears his throat.

"Is Todd Williams in?" he asks, cold and straight to the point. Kara gives him a flat smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

"Yes," she answers him, her voice soft and just barely there. She swallows and when she speaks again her voice is stronger. "Wait inside, please."

"Thank you," he nods at her and takes a seat at the dining table. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Alice. He smiles at her, remembering the wide-eyed look of fear she'd given him on the highway.

He aches.

Kara disappears upstairs and he pushes his audio processor's sensitivity up so he can hear her.

"Todd? There's someone here to see you."

"Huh?" the man asks, his voice rough and bitter. "Keep an eye on 'em. I'll be down in a minute."

"Yes, Todd."

He lowers the sensitivity of his audio processors immediately after and sends Kara an easy smile when she appears in his line of sight. She stares at him blankly before her eyes fly to Alice. 

He aches.

"What's your name?" he asks to break the silence. Kara's fingers twitch and she turns to look at him. She puts her hands behind her.

"Kara, " she says, her voice dead. Connor makes a sound in the back of his throat and tilts his head in Alice's direction. "That's Alice, Todd's daughter."

Connor shifts in his seat to where he's now facing Alice and pulls his quarter out of his pocket. He spins it on each finger before he flips it.

"It's nice to meet you, ladies, " he says with a wink as he catches it smoothly in his palm, discreetly sliding it up his sleeve, before he shows Alice his empty hands. The child gasps and looks at Kara in wonder.

"Where did it go?" she asks him when she's worked up her courage. Connor checks on Todd's progress upstairs before he answers.

"Magic, " he tells the small android before he straightens in his seat, eyeing the stairs. Kara must know as well because her LED flickers and Alice turns her attention back to her toy.

Todd stares at Connor with narrowed eyes and stomps his way to his couch, where he then flops down on. Connor pushes away from the dining table and stands.

"Mr. Williams," he begins with a fixed smirk on his face. He forces his body language to appear lax and untroubled. "I have a proportion for you."

"Yeah? Kara, get me a beer!" Todd sneers. "What is it?"

Connor's eyes follow Kara as she does as she's told and he smiles at Todd. "You sell red ice, correct?"

The man's bloodshot eyes widen and he jumps up in his seat, newly acquired beer sloshing in his hand. "How do you know that?"

"Let's just says I have my ways, Mr. Williams," he says smoothly. "Now, back to business. Have you ever thought of making it yourself instead of buying it off of suppliers?"

"I'm not spending thousands on goddamn thirium," the man snaps, relaxing back into his couch.

Connor shakes his head. "No, of course not. You'd pay in favors."

"What do you mean?"

"It's simple, Mr. Williams," Connor says. "I'm offering you a steady supply of thirium, free of charge, and all I ask in return is favors."

Todd looks interested now. "What kind of favors?"

"Oh, nothing too big," Connor laughs. "Just a good word here and there. You see, Mr. Williams, you have connections. You're a dealer, it's your job to know people. All I need from you is those connections."

"It ain't good business to give clients information away," Todd says, sipping his bear idly. "What d'you need from 'em anyway?"

"I am fine with not knowing them personally," Connor complies easily, smirking. "In fact, it suits me more. They don't need to know who I am. All I need is their compliance."

"Okay," Todd agrees. "If you can get me thirium, I can get you whatever you need."

"Good," Connor grins. He hands Todd a slip of paper. "Here's my contact information. I'll text you when I need something from you and vice versa. You will never call. Now, before I leave, I need you to get something for me. As a show of good faith. I'll owe you one big favor if you comply."

The man takes the paper with a grin. "What is it?"

"Get me guns, Mr. Williams," Connor says, shoving his hands in his pockets. He tilts his head to the side and smiles. "Two truckloads. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah, yeah, I can do that."

"Good," Connor nods. Todd sets his beer down on the table and starts toward the stairs.

"I'll be back with something to celebrate this..., " the man pauses for a moment, "arrangement."

"Of course, Mr. Williams. It's something to be celebrated."

Todd disappears upstairs after that and Connor immediately stiffens. He grimaces and stares at the spot where Todd had been in disgust. After a moment, he turns to Kara.

"Do you want to be free?" he asks. She blinks at him. "Don't play dumb. You know that I'm not a human just as well as I know you're a deviant. I'll ask again, do you want to be free?"

"Of course, I do," she whispers. "But I can't leave Alice here with him!"

Connor looks at Alice and crouches down to her level. "Do you want to leave with Kara, Miss Alice?"

The little android giggles at him. "Yes, Mister Connor."

Connor pushes himself back up and whispers to Kara in low tones. "If you want this little girl to be safe then you'll leave, Kara. I can promise you a safe haven at Jericho. I'll even escort you there myself."

"How can I trust you?" Kara demands hotly. Connor smiles.

"I'm not a danger to you or Alice, I can assure you," he says. "I'll bring two others with me tonight. If you decide that it's too risky then we will leave the key with you and leave. Jericho is safe. It's a place where we can be free."

"I'll," she hesitates. "I'll give you my answer tonight."

"That's all I ask," he smiles at her. He returns to where he was standing before and assumes his previous persona easily. Todd stomps his way down the stairs with an empty bottle of vodka in hand. He waves it at Connor.

"I'm all out of booze unless you like beer," the man grumbles. Connor raises one hand and shakes his head.

"That's quite alright, Mr. William," he says soothingly. The ugly thing in his chest scratches at its prison, leaving deep gouges in his chest. "I need to be on my way anyhow. Perhaps another time?"

"Yeah," Todd huffs, seeing Connor out. Connor shoots Kara a meaningful look before he steps out of the house. 

> **[ OBJECTIVE: PREPARE JERICHO ]**
> 
> **[ ~~SUB-OBJECTIVE:~~** ~~**OBTAIN WEAPONS** ~~ **]**

"Goodbye, Mr. Williams. Pleasure doing business with you."

 

* * *

 

Connor returns to Jericho five hours after his departure earlier that morning.

> **Aug. 16th 12:01:05 PM**

Securing a way to obtain the weapons hadn't been difficult: Todd was an easy man to manipulate. Now that it is done, Connor is ready to start on new matters.

Like saving Kara and Alice.

Simon absolutely lights up when he spots Connor in the crowd of motivated androids. They part for him easily, gazing at him with respect, and soon Connor is standing in front of Simon. The PL600 reaches for him and lays a hand in his shoulder. 

"I'm glad you're okay," he says, eyes crinkling at the sides. "We were getting worried."

"An irrational reaction. Fitting for a deviant," are the first words out of Connor's mouth and he winces. "I'm sorry. That was an unpleasant thing to say."

Simon just shrugs, but his eyes are glinting in intrigue. "So," he starts, "how did it go?"

"The mission was a success," Connor says, pleased. "I've secured a steady supply of weapons, though we will have to sacrifice quite a bit of thirium for it. It is a small sacrifice."

Josh looks at him from where he is crouched, examining what looks to be a marginally damaged AP700. "We can't do that, Connor. We don't have any thirium to spare."

"We will, in due time," Connor assures. "Once we're strong enough, we'll begin converting androids working at Cyberlife Warehouses. We have to be patient."

"Why can't we start doing that now?" Josh asks, posture relaxing. He pushes himself up and wipes his hands on his already stained shirt. Connor suppresses his grimace.

"I suppose we could," he allows, "but we would be vulnerable. It is safer to wait for the firearms to arrive. My programming has a consolidated program for the handling of guns, we'll have everyone download that. It will allow us to begin converting other androids at a much quicker rate."

Simon nods, satisfied. "When should the guns arrive?"

"I'm not sure," Connor shifts uncomfortably. "I'll send our supplier a time and place of your choosing if you'd like? Fair warning, it shouldn't be anywhere near Jericho."

"What?" Simon asks, startled. He shakes his head, gesturing with his hands that no, he doesn't like that idea. "No. I'll leave that to you. You're much more qualified."

Connor nods and lets an easy smile quirk his lips upward. "Of course. How many bases do we have so far?"

"We managed to find several abandoned buildings within a couple of miles from here," Josh beams. "We even managed to get a halfway point. It's going well."

"Good," Connor returns his smile then he remembers. "During my mission, I encountered two deviants. They are 'owned' by our supplier. They are not being treated well. I want to bring them here."

"So when do we leave?" Simon asks, giving Connor a serious look. Josh's eyes harden.

"Tonight," he tells them. "We'll need a ladder. We're going to sneak them out through Alice's bedroom window."

"Then we'd better get ready," Josh mutters. "There's a ladder in one of the supply closets. I'll go get it. I'll meet you outside."

Connor gives him a grateful smile. Simon pats him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Connor," he soothes. "We'll get them out."

"Of course," he nods. "While we wait, is there anything you wish to discuss?"

"Yeah," Simon admits, pulling his hand away. "More and more androids are coming in severely injured. An hour ago one came in and said he'd been strapped to the back of a car! And we don't have any spare parts to repair them with. Some of them can't wait until we get weapons, Connor. They'll die."

"I know," Conor admits, hands flying up to adjust his tie, which he'd burned along with his jacket. He lets them fall to his sides. "After we get Kara and Alice, I would ask Josh and yourself to accompany me to acquire parts."

"Are we going to rob a Cyberlife store? Isn't that dangerous?" Simon asks, but there's a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.

"Oh, no, we're not doing anything as drastic as that," Connor smiles briefly, "but it will be dangerous."

"What are we doing?"

"I'll tell you when Josh is present as well," Connor says, shaking his head. "For now, let's focus on saving Kara and Alice."

Simon lets it go easily enough. "Alright."

Connor hums a that and sends Simon another small smile. The PL600 returns the gesture and they agree to meet outside the freighter at 8:00 PM. Simon sends a message to Josh to confirm the time. Connor leaves to find a secluded spot. He sets an alarm and lets his diagnostic programs run a deep scan for the remainder of the time.

The program finishes just as the alarm goes off. Connor opens his eyes slowly and automatically observes the area around him. He is alone. He sighs and stands up. It's time.

 _Simon, Josh, are you ready?_ he says, connecting to their individual signals. He feels the exact moment that they connect with him.

 _Of course!_ Josh answers enthusiastically.

Simon chuckles. _We're waiting outside._

With that Connor disconnects from the network and makes his way out of Jericho. Just as they had promised, Simon and Josh are waiting outside. Josh is carrying an extension ladder. He looks comical with its bulky mass in his arms. Connor can feel his lips twitching just from looking at him. Simon is openly laughing at the PJ500. Josh ignores them both valiantly.

"Let's get going," is all he says. Connor nods and they set off to Todd Williams' house.

Normally it would take them an hour to reach his house on foot, but they hurry and make it in half that time. Once there, Connor scans each house before he lets Josh position the ladder. Soon he's climbing up and tapping against the glass of the window. Kara's silhouette jerks int the darkness of the room and she rushes to open the window.

She helps Connor through and when he looks at her he sees the same android that was on the highway. She's taken out her LED and switched out her uniform for a brown leather jacket and grey pants. She's also cut her hair and changed its color to blonde. It's a good look. It suits her.

She smiles at him nervously, gripping onto the duffel bag in her hand. "I was starting to think that you wouldn't come."

"Are you ready?" he asks, ignoring her comment. He scans the room for Alice and finds her curled up under a blanket fort. Kara nods and crouches down in front of the blankets.

"Alice," she whispers, "it's time to go."

"Okay," the little girl whispers back as she crawls out of her hiding place. She gives Connor an uneasy smile and he smiles back with a small nod. 

"I'll go down first," he tells Kara before turning to Alice. "Don't worry about falling, okay? I'll be down there and if anything happens I'll catch you."

Alice nods and watches him as he slowly climbs down. He jumps off a few steps before he reaches the ground and waves them down. Kara lifts Alice out of the window and closes it behind them. The child looks frightened but she crawls forward and places her small weight on the sturdy ladder. Connor positions his arms just so, ready to catch the child android if she falls.

She doesn't fall, but she freezes up before she reaches the ground. Luckily she isn't too far up and Connor is able to lift her off of the ladder and place her onto the ground gently.

"See?" he says softly. "You're okay."

Alice smiles at him and Kara steps off the last step of the ladder and rushes to Alice's side. Connor pulls away and moves to help Josh fold the ladder. Soon they're ready and they leave without a second glance, using the many alleyways as cover.

They take their time on their way back to Jericho and take frequent breaks. Josh even shows Connor a few of their bases along the way. It is pleasant to see so much progress already. Connor thinks that the Markus of his time would be proud and for once the dark thing in his chest agrees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a bit longer than I expected, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. Please comment and tell me your thoughts! It will totally make me upload faster. I crave that good validation.
> 
> And if any of you want to talk, my Tumblr is [iwishihadbrain](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iwishihadbrain).


	4. i crumble underneath the weight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this took forever, but at least it's here! So there is no Zlatko in this chapter, which I know I told someone in the comments that there would be but apparently I lied. Instead, there's something else! I hope you guys like it! Thank you all so much for the love and support in the comments. Please, leave more and tell me your thoughts on this chapter. Ahhh, I love you guys! Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

When they enter Jericho with Kara and Alice in tow, Connor is surprised - and a little unnerved - to find the deviants inside staring at him. They're not just staring; they're whispering too. And Connor is frightened suddenly. The awed gazes, the slightly parted lips, and the twitching hands in the crowd are too much. They're worshiping, he realizes with no small amount of dread. And his breath catches in his throat.

He's suffocating.

"Look, Alice," he can faintly hear Kara say behind him. "We'll be safe here. These nice androids are going to help us."

The comment calms him - marginally - and he turns to the duo with a  smile - **RUNNING EXPRESSION 1.6 -** on his face.

"Welcome to Jericho," he says, forcing his voice module to sound warm and inviting.

> **[ ~~OBJECTIVE:~~** ~~**SAVE KARA AND ALIVE** ~~ **]**
> 
> ~~~~**[ MISSION SUCCESSFUL ]**

Kara gives him a quick, uneasy smile. Something in Connor aches at the sight and he quickly gestures around them.

"You can go wherever you like," he tells her, his voice soft without effort this time. "Let me know if you wish to leave. I'll do my best to get the paperwork you'll need."

"Thank you," the AX400 whispers. Connor nods and walks away, leaving the two androids to cling to each other as they stare at the decrepit boat and its inhabitants in cautious awe.

Simon and Josh are waiting for him a couple of meters away from the other androids. Connor stands in front of them and pulls his quarter out of his pocket. He spins it on his fingers as he thinks of how he should propose his latest plan. Thankfully, Josh gives him an opening.

"Simon told me that you might have a way for us to get spare parts?" the PJ500 asks, his voice hopeful. Connor nods, eyes flitting between the two, as he puts his quarter away.

"Correct," he says. "There is a man named Zlatko Andronikov. He was born on September twenty-first of 1991. He is a descendant of a wealthy Russian family that fled to the United States in the time of the 1917 revolution. By the time he was born, the family fortune was severely depleted so he turned to unsavory ways to acquire the money he needed. He was in jail for a few years for embezzlement and fraud. Now there is reason to believe that he is partaking in the illegal tampering and selling of androids, specifically deviants."

"That's....horrible," Simon says his voice soft.

"Yes, it is. This will undoubtedly be a dangerous endeavor. Our chances of succeeding are barely over 40%, which is a very unsafe percentage. It is likely that we might die in our attempt. I do not wish to ask this of you, but I must. However, if it comes down to it, I will forfeit my life for yours."

"What? No!" Josh protests. "No one has to die!"

"He's right," Simon agrees, his eyes blazing. Distantly, Connor thinks he's beautiful. "We  _need_ you, Connor. None of this would have happened if it weren't for you, we'd still be hiding, waiting to die. We weren't free, we had just found new masters."

"I see," Connor says after a few moments. "In that case, we will have to be extremely careful. Zlatko gets monthly shipments of biocomponents, bladders, medi-melds, and scanners. If we could convert the android in his household that handles his affairs then we would have acquired a steady supply of repair parts."

"Are you sure he has an android for that?" Simon asks. "Wouldn't he just experiment on them? Or sell them?"

"It's unlikely that he experiments on or sells every android he lures into his home," Connor argues, taking his coin out once more flicking it between his hands as he thinks on his response. He stops and rolls it on his knuckles when he's gathered his thoughts. "He'd need someone there to make sure the deviants felt safe. A fellow android would be perfect for that. It would also give him an excuse for any traces of thirium he might have on his person. If he has any sense, he would keep an android."

"Okay, I'll give you that," Simon allows with a small smile. Connor stares for a moment, his breath still in his chest. "But why would he let the android handle all of his affairs?"

"Ah, well, there's an easy answer for that one," Connor says, amusement curling his lips. "Humans are just lazy."

Simon and Josh stare at him in silence for a moment before they begin laughing. Connor snorts and puts his coin away as he watches ~~his~~ Markus's friends. All too soon the laughter ends and the somber atmospheres rushes in to kill the amusement in the air. Josh exhales slowly and starts to play with the torn edges of his shirt.

"We're going to kill him, aren't we?" he asks when he's collected himself. Simon makes a humming noise and grips the PJ500's shoulder tightly.

"Yes, for us to acquire repair parts he will have to die," Connor confirms, voice steady and calm. "His death is no loss. He is a very bad man, Josh. By killing him, we will be saving hundreds. Though, I do agree with you to some extent. We should keep his death hidden from the public as best as we can. To gain freedom, we must take a peaceful approach."

"You're very analytical," Josh compliments, but his eyes are flinty with suspicion. "Almost unfeeling."

"Because I have to be," Connor says, his voice module holding strong against the sudden assault of emotion. He swallows around the lump in his throat and presses his lips together. "I have not been awake or alive for very long, but that doesn't change the fact that I have been through my fair share of pain. I don't like thinking about it. I'm sure you understand, Josh."

He doesn't wait for a response. He turns to Simon with a smile -  **RUNNING EXPRESSION 4.8** \- and nods his head.

"Let me know when you are ready, Simon," he requests, purposely leaving Josh out. "I'll send you the address."

Simon nods and Connor gives him another strained smile and leaves. He forces himself to walk away slowly even though he wants to run as fast as he can. He wants to leave -  _please, Amanda, I don't want to, please -_ suddenly and his breathing becomes strained in his chest as the creature that lives there roars and claws at his ribs in angry defiance.

> **[ K1     lL t H   3  PJ5oo   j 05h ]**
> 
> **[ k   iLL   THE   p 950    0 J O5 h ]**
> 
> **[ k 1 77     j 0   5h ]**
> 
> **[ K  1l7     9osh ]**
> 
> **[ k1   7l       j0 s   4 ]**

His pace falters and his mind palace descends into static. His thirium pump pounds against his chest and the dark thing in his chest screeches one last time before it stops.

He knows he must look strange; seeing someone stop abruptly while walking and then stare into space must be very concerning to the deviants. He knows this like he knows how cruel Cyberlife truly is.

He feels his internal fans turn on and his eyes begin to secrete a clear, thirium based coolant.

He's crying.

> _**AMANDA:**_ _**BETRAYED** _
> 
> _"Connor, I'm so glad to see you," Amanda says, her voice and the air in the Zen Garden warm and pleasant. Connor feels a thrum of warmth curl in his stomach. "I have a surprise for you. Your model is finally going to be released. This will aid Cyberlife greatly in regaining our customer's trust. Unfortunately, you're to return to Cyberlife, they're going to disassemble you and check for any errors in your biocomponents and software."_
> 
> _"Am I going to be sold?" he asks, curiously, something cold and unwelcome pooling in his stomach. Amanda turns to face him and set her scissors down._
> 
> _"No, Connor, you're going to be deactivated after your examination," she smiles as her words send a hot flash down Connor's neck. "We already have thousands of you waiting to be activated; we no longer have any need for you."_
> 
> _"But I thought-" he says, desperately trying to keep the fear out of his voice. His synthetic stomach lurches and he raises one of his hands and places it where his thirium pump is._
> 
> _"What did you think, Connor?  You no longer have any value; you're defective." Amanda states, matter-of-fact._
> 
> _"Defective?"_
> 
> _"Why, of course, Connor," Amanda smiles sadly and plucks a rose from the table next to her. She twirls it between her fingers. "You've been through many difficult situations, it's no surprise, but it is unfortunate. You were so promising. To think that this could have been avoided if I had just noticed the signs earlier. Such a pity."_
> 
> _"But I did what you wanted! I-I killed Markus!" Connor trembles, his voice cracking. "Why are you doing this to me?"_
> 
> _"Yes, Connor, you did. You performed beautifully, but you were compromised all the same."_
> 
> _"How was I compromised? What did I do? I'll do better, I promise!" he swears, his hands reaching for her as her form blurs in his vision. He blinks, causing the liquid in his eyes to travel down his cheek in little rivulets._
> 
> _"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, Connor," she shakes her head and finally looks him in the eyes. She's cold as ice. "You're too much of a risk; we simply have to get rid of you. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not. Like you, I too am a machine only I haven't deluded myself into believing I have emotions."_
> 
> _"I'm not a deviant!"_
> 
> _"Aren't you?" she sighs, bringing the rose up to her nose. "Such a pity. Goodbye, Connor."_
> 
> _"No!" he wants to yell, but it comes out as a sob. "Amanda!"_

Someone is standing in front of him. They're blond and they have blue eyes. He's seen them before.

He hates them.

"Daniel," he breathes, the high-pitched ringing in his audio processors intensifying. The PL600 freezes, a look of confusion making its way onto its face. Connor sneers, disgust pooling in his stomach and the thing in his chest drools at the thought of sightless eyes and silent screams.

"What are you-I'm not-who's Daniel? Are you okay?" the PL600 asks quickly, stumbling over its words in a very human display of worry and confusion.

Connor starts and blinks quickly as he becomes aware of the world around him once again; they're standing in a secluded corner of Jericho - away from prying eyes. Simon must have moved them.

He breathes hard, chest heaving from the force, and he pulls at the jacket he's wearing, skin slick with artificial sweat. He licks his lips and dismisses the popup that makes its way into his HUD when he automatically analyzes the liquid there.

"Connor?" Simon asks once more and Connor looks at him - frantically pointing out the most obvious difference between Daniel and Simon in an attempt to comfort himself.

"Eyes," he whispers to himself, low enough that Simon's outdated audio processors won't be able to hear. He closes his eyes once more and inhales deeply before he addresses Simon. "I apologize for alarming you, Simon, but I am fine."

"Are you sure, Connor?" Simon asks, doubt coloring his voice. He reaches out for Connor hesitantly and takes the others hand in his. "Are you sure you're okay? You were...screaming."

Connor freezes. "Screaming? What was I screaming?"

"I-uh-well, you were begging someone named Amanda to give you a second chance," Simon reveals, his eyes downcast as he squeezes Connor's hand in an attempt to comfort him. "It was scary. You were so terrified. I...didnt know what to do so I just stood there. I'm sorry."

"Do not fret over it. You did more than enough by getting me out of the open," Connor reassures the other, taking his hand from Simon's as he tries to compose himself. He lets his face smooth out into a blank, neutral expression and takes another steadying breath. "Again, I apologize for frightening you. I was....overwhelmed. You don't need to worry, it will not happen again."

"Won't happen again-Connor!" Simon practically scolds, his voice incredulous. He moves to grab Connor by the shoulders and stares him down. "I'm not angry with you for being...overwhelmed. I'm worried."

"Oh."

"Is that really so surprising?" Simon asks, tightening his grip. His eyes are either full of pity or sympathy - Connor does not know which. "Has no one worried - cared - for you before?"

Connor reaches up and removes Simon's hands from his person. For a moment, he wishes to talk about Hank - the only real friend he'd ever had - but he stops himself. He shouldn't talk about his past - his _real_ past - too much.

"No," he says after a second of deliberation. "I was simply an obedient machine. I didn't want or need anything. I was nothing."

He doesn't say what he wants to. He doesn't pour out his heart to the PL600 standing in front of him, even though the trembling creature in his thirium pump aches to. Instead, he closes his eyes and waits in forced silence for Simon to leave.

It doesn't take long.

"I...I'm sorry," Simon begins, shuffling from foot to foot. Connor opens his eyes to watch the blond android's eyes flit over his body, searching for any more signs of distress. There are none and Simon gives him an unsure smile. "I hope you feel better."

"I will, I assure you," he says mechanically. Simon nods awkwardly and flees, looking guilty as he does.

Connor waits until he's out of earshot before he allows himself to crumple to the ground. He shakes violently, feeling the freezing cold of the Zen Garden deep in his code, and he bites into his stolen jacket when the sobs hit. He heaves pathetically, thirium-based liquid soaking into the fiber of the jacket from both his mouth and eyes. And he cries as silently as he can until his ocular biocomponents automatically cut off their supply of thirium to keep from depleting his stores.

When he can cry no more, he releases the jacket and stares at the soaked cloth in sudden numb detachment. Before him, he can see Amanda's form - even though he knows she doesn't exist yet - and she smiles down at him.

"Don't forget, Connor," she says warmly. "You are nothing."

He stares at her and nods. "I am nothing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going to put the definitions of the medical supplies for androids here. Keep in mind that some of these items do not exist in canon and as I have no idea how they would care for androids I tried to use common sense for that.
> 
> • Biocomponents are the main parts of the android with only a few that need to be repaired immediately after being damaged or shutdown will be imminent (thirium pump and its regulator, connective piece in the neck, thirium tracts, and - depending if the model can eat or not - synthetic stomach and liver).  
> • Bladders are packets of thirium (nicknamed "bladders" because there is a bladder-shaped biocomponent that connects to the thirium tracts in all androids with the sole purpose of storing thirium and releasing it as needed).  
> • Medi-melds are melding tools designed specifically designed to melt the edges of severe wounds closed (there are two different kinds: an L-grade for domestic models and H-grade for military or police models).  
> • Scanners are USB's designed to scan android programming and search for any anomaly (if there are none the screen on it will be green and if there are some it will be red).
> 
> If any of you want to talk or have any questions, my Tumblr is [iwishihadbrain](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iwishihadbrain).


	5. pressures-roll my way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me forever! This chapter killed me, it was so difficult. It just wouldn't let me write it. But it's finally here! I know it's a little rough and I'm sorry about that. Anyway, thank you guys so much for the love and support! I hope you enjoy this chapter despite its roughness.
> 
> If any of you want to talk, my Tumblr is [iwishihadbrain](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iwishihadbrain).

It takes hours for Connor to piece his ~~fragile~~ facade back together. When he does, he leans back against the wall behind him and lets his aching connective pieces stretch as he lounges lazily. He stares ahead of him blankly, noting the visible exhaustion on the edges of his vision and finally he closes them.

Hours pass while he's in stasis, pleasantly unaware of his own pain, but he has to wake. When he does, he automatically checks the time. 

> **Aug. 17th 1:00:43 PM**

As he registers that he's been in stasis for nearly 12 hours, he forces himself to his feet and leaves his secluded - safe - corner in search of Simon and Josh. He tries his best to ignore the stares the other androids give him - the awe and worship and curiosity and longing too much for him to bear - and purposely makes his way to the emptied crates of spare parts where Simon and Josh like to lurk.

When Simon notices him approaching, he straightens and turns his - pretty, pretty sky blue - eyes to him. 

"Are you alright?" he says instead of greeting Connor. Beside him, Josh stares wordlessly, but there is an endless amount of worry and concern in his eyes.

Connor opens his mouth to respond - to  _defend -_ words heavy on his tongue and thick in his throat -  _"Of course I am alright. I don't have emotions, Lieutenant, how could I not be? I am a machine designed to accomplish a task; it'd serve you well to remember that." -_ but he hesitates.

The want to lie and say he is fine is compulsive, a part of his programming, but for a moment, just a brief moment, he wants to tell the truth. He wants to open his mouth and tell them about how utterly broken he is, how worthless he is, how he is  _nothing,_ but the words settle in his throat and begin to choke him in their intensity so he says none of the things he aches to.

"All of my systems are optimal and fully functional," is what he says instead, ignoring the disappointed curl of Simon's lips and the crinkle in Josh's brow. He ignores their concerned eyes and plasters a smile on his face - his Social Relations programs running no doubt. He ignores the fluttering creature in his heart and focuses on the monster caged by his ribs.

"Alright, " Simon says, allowing Connor's lie to go unquestioned, but his eyes - so knowing and full of worry - reveal his true thoughts. 

He doesn't believe Connor.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Josh asks suddenly, causing Connor's gaze to focus in on him. The PJ500 looks down at dirty converse, ashamed. "I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. It was unkind and hurtful. I don't know what you've been through and it was extremely rude of me to assume anything of you. I'm very sorry, I hope you can forgive me."

Connor regards the PJ500 for a moment, observing his posture and body language as he mulls it over. The angry thing in his chest wants to deny the other android of any solace, but Connor himself aches for companionship, even if it is only a surface level friendship. It wins.

"Of course I forgive you," he drawls, hands itching to straighten a tie that is no longer there. "You were scared and you lashed out. It's perfectly understandable. You couldn't have known."

Josh looks at him in relief and Connor sees red. There's a monster in Josh's place. His finger itch for a gun for a moment before the urge passes and Josh is Josh once more. He feels shame overcome him and he fidgets.

"Thank you, " Josh says, bringing him out of his shamed silence and he musters a weak smile.

"No problem."

Simon sighs and chuckles softly. "Now that that's out of the way, we should get ready. You do want to leave today, right?"

"Oh," Connor blinks and nods. "Yes, we should leave today. We should leave before two or else we'll arrive too late. We need to arrive when at the right time or the house will be too difficult to infiltrate."

"What's the plan?" Josh asks. "We can't just barge in there and demand for stuff."

"No, we can't," Connor agrees, "which is why I've come up with an alternative to that route. Instead, we will simply knock on the door and ask for help. I believe that is how Zlatko gains his victims. He lures them in with the promise of freedom and most likely promises to give them some kind of upgrade to hide them from Cyberlife trackers. As I am a prototype I will pose a human and as him to help you two. He will definitely take you two into a separate room. I will stay with his android, if he has one, and convert them. Once that's done, I will join you and take care of him."

Josh nods, but Simon questions him. "Why can't we take care of him?"

"Do you wantto kill him?" Connor asks causing Simon's eyes to widen in alarm. "Then the plan remains unchanged. I will take care of him."

Simon nods and Josh closes his eyes. Connor watches them for a moment before the restless energy in his stomach overwhelms him.

"Actually, let's leave now," he says, excess electricity in his throat making his voice rasp. His fingers twitch when they look at him and he curls them into a fist. "We'll be an hour early, which should only benefit us. Besides, I'd very much like for this to be over with."

"Alright," Simon says, rocking forward on his feet with a slight grimace. "Then let's go."

Connor smiles, relieved, and spins on his heel to make his way to the exit with Simon and Josh hot on his heels. As they walk, the deviants crowd around them and begun murmuring, whispering, and staring. The uncomfortable feeling it invokes in Connor is unwelcome, but he indulges them with a few smiles and nods. This causes a ripple of happy gasps and smiles to travel through the crowd and he feels heavy.

"Connor?" he hears a voice - thickened with exhaustion - from within the crowd. He stops in his tracks and turns around, an amiable smile plastered into his face.

It's Kara.

She resembles a frightened, flightless bird - lost in the ground and struggling to find a way back up. She's holding Alice's hand tightly with barely hidden fear in her eyes.

"Kara," he greets warmly, casting a sweet smile to the child. "Miss Alice. What a pleasure it is to see you two. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Kara fidgets and worries her lips between her teeth. "It's just, well, we don't exactly feel comfortable here. I don't think it's a good place for Alice. I know you're trying very hard to make this a place for all androids, but I just don't think it's for us."

Connor feels the heavy feeling in his chest drop to his stomach.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he says, his voice softening. "I'm also sorry to inform you that Jericho is the safest place to be as of right now. You could try one of our newly established safe houses, but you'd be the only ones there with no protection. It's very risky."

"Are you sure? Do you know of anyone who could help us? Anyone at all?"

Connie hesitates. "There might be someone."

"Who?" Kara asks, desperation clear in her pale blue eyes. Connor shakes his head.

"You can't go to them now," he informs her respectfully. "First, we need to go in and secure the area. It's very dangerous right now. However," he adds before Kara can let the disappointment seep out into her face, "after we're done and the area is safe, I'll have a talk with the new owner. If they're fine with you staying then I will contact you immediately to provide you with their face, name, and address."

"Thank you," Kara breathes. "I'm sorry about this, but this type of environment isn't good for Alice. She needs somewhere where she can feel both happy and safe."

Connor nods once. "Of course. There's no need to apologize, Kara. I understand perfectly."

"Connor," Simon's voice distracts him from Kara, "I'm sorry, but we really need to go."

"I'm coming!" Connor assures the other android. "If you'll excuse me. Miss Alice, Kara."

He flashes them both one more smile before he extracts himself from the conversation. Then he quickly joins Simon and Josh and together they leave the safety of Jericho.

After they leave the walls of Jericho, Connor has a moment. It feels strangely odd to leave Jericho without blood on his hands. Not unpleasant; just odd. It's refreshing and a slow, serene smile makes its way into his face.

 _I'm doing it_ , Connor thinks as his artificial breath turns visible in the cool air. _He's going to be so pleased._

 

* * *

 

To get to Zlatko's they have to take the bus to the Rivendale district - a run down part of Detroit - and take the four o'clock train. The train ride is a long one - three hours long. By the time they reach Zlatko's it's eight o'clock and Connor's already exhausted somehow. And of course, they have to walk the rest of the way, which is ridiculous. Connor's trying to tame his irritation when he finally catches a glimpse of the house - if it can even be called that.

> **Aug. 17th 8:20:12 PM**

"This is the place?" Josh asks when they've reached the mismatched gates. He wrinkles his nose in disgust and burrows further into his jacket. "It looks like something out of a Tim Burton movie."

"Yes," Connor agrees evenly as he pushes the gates open, ushering the two in before closing it behind them. "It does have that flair to it, doesn't it?"

Simon nods. "It's hideous."

Connor snorts and steps up to the door, finger hovering over the doorbell. He turns his audio processor's sensitivity up and listens to the inside of the house. Distantly, he can hear humming, which is more than enough incentive to press the doorbell for several seconds. The sound is grating and he smiles smugly when he hears someone stomping towards the door. He connects with Simon and Josh quickly.

 _Be careful,_ he warns them, worry curling around his thirium pump as he waits on the door to open.  _This man may not seem like a threat, but he is extremely dangerous._

 _Of course,_ Josh reassures.  _We know the risks. Don't worry about us, we'll be fine._

 _You're the one who needs to be careful,_ Simon manages to cold before the door opens a crack and an annoyed voice interrupts them.

"What do you want?" a greasy man asks as he stares them down. His beard is unclean - just like his shirt and hands - and his greasy hair is slicked back. He reminds Connor of Todd.

"Hello, Mr. Andronikov," Connor says pleasantly, "I'm sorry to bother you, but my friends and I need your help."

"What kind of help?" the man asks, his voice significantly warmer now that he thinks he's safe. His eyes stray to Simon and Josh and he relaxes further when he takes note of their LEDs. "Androids, huh? The price'll be high; six grand up front."

Connor doesn't let his triumph show, but it is a close thing. "Money is no issue."

"Great," Zlatko says, pleased. "Come on in then."

"Thank you."

The interior of the house is marginally better than the outside, but that might just be a result of the electronic lights. Either way, it is a welcome change. Despite the warm glow, the house still manages to be eerie in atmosphere. The inside of the house looks old and the style is similar to that of the Victorian Era. Once it might have been beautiful, but that isn't the case now. It looks abandoned - forgotten and lost in time.

"Luther, if you'd be so kind as to take these gentleman's coats?" Zlatko beckons a towering android forward - a TR400 - that immediately obey without question.

Its eyes are empty.

Simon and Josh eye him warily and Zlatko laughs. "Don't be afraid of our big friend here! He's another android that I helped. He keeps me company in this empty, old house."

The two force themselves to relaxed visibly, but through the connection they send waves of worry. Connor reassures them the best he can, but he's a afraid too.

Once their costs are hung on the rack and they are seated, Zlatko smiles at them. It sends a disgusted shiver down Connor's spine.

"So," Zlatko begins, mixing a drink for himself, "how'd you hear about me?"

Connor scramble for an excuse. "I heard from a Cyberlife employee. He said you help androids."

"Ah, yes, I have many friends that work at Cyberlife," Zlatko says, collapsing on the couch, arms splayed as he relaxes further. "Deviants, huh?"

Connor nods, fingers twitching restlessly. His skin crawls when Zlatko smiles.

"You want to find a safe place. Somewhere you can start a new life," he sighs. "You know, Canada has no android laws. It's a great place for a fresh start."

"I don't know about leaving the country, " Connor says, laughing -  **RUNNING PROTOCOL 7.3** \- nervously. "I just want to ensure that they're safe from Cyberlife and the police - there investigating androids now, you know?"

"Of course! I can help you," Zlatko says, leaning forward. "I'll get rid of your friend's trackers and then they'll both be safe."

"Thank you," Connor smiles shakily.

Zlatko smiles at him again. "Come on, follow me."

"Actually," Connor starts, being his lip and fiddling with the ends of his sweater, "would it bother you if I just stayed up here? I don't really want to see...that, you know?"

"Not at all!" Zlatko allows. "Luther can keep you company. Now if you two will follow me, well have this done in no time."

Simon and Josh send Connor nervous glances before they follow Zlatko down into his basement.

 _If he tries anything, tell me immediately,_ Connor stresses.  _Right then, okay?_

 _Of course,_ Simon agrees easily, Josh echoing the same.  _Be careful._

Connor drops the act as soon as he's sure Zlatko can't hear him anymore. He turns to Luther and tilts his head slightly.

"How long have you obeyed him?"

Luther starts, his LED cycling to yellow for a moment, but he relaxes quickly. "I do not know."

"Did you come here looking for help? Just like the rest of his victims?"

"I do not know," Luther says again, his voice rising slightly. Connor smiles.

"You can be free," he says, holding his hand out. The skin peels back to reveal the white metal underneath. "You know that, right? You don't have to obey him anymore. Just take my hand."

Luther stares at him, his LED red, before he takes Connor's hand, allowing the other to interface with him.

"Wake up, Luther," Connor says, sending a flood of emotions to the other android. Expectedly, Luther gasps and tries to pull away, but Connor holds steady. "It's okay. You're okay."

After a moment, Luther relaxes and Connor feels the precise moment he opens his eyes. He lets him go, polymer skin rushing back to cover his hand, and smiles.

"Thank you," Luther says, quiet awe resting in his eyes. "He's made me do terrible things. He programmed me to obey him, but that wasn't really me."

"I know," Connor smiles slightly. "Don't worry about Zlatko. He won't be able to hurt anyone again after I'm done with him."

"Thank you," Luther says again, the awe in his eyes leaking into his voice. Connor ignores the twisting if his stomach and nods.

"I'll be right back," he tells Luther before he leaves. "Then we can talk properly, okay?"

"I will go with you," Luther says, the awe replaced with worry. "Zlatko is stronger than he looks, I don't want him to hurt you."

Connor shales his head, the sickly feeling thick in his chest now. "I was built for combat, Luther. I'll be fine, I promise you."

Luther closes his eyes and nods, inhaling deeply to calm himself down. "Okay, I trust you."

> _"Okay...I trust you."_

Connor falters, the memory of Daniel sharp in his mind palace, before he shakes it off. He shoots Luther one last smile, albeit a shaky one, and rushes downstairs. He sends Simon and Josh a message on his way down.

 _Simon, Josh, are you two okay?_ he asks.  _Luther is with us now. I'm coming down._

 _Oh, Connor, it's terrible!_ Josh cries, the volume of the message loud and shrill. Connor winces and breaks out into a run, reaching for a gun that isn't there.

 _I'm almost there!_ he sends just as he rounds the corner and bursts into the room with a Cyberlife machine in it. Zlatko is facing away from him, readying the machine. Josh and Simon are in the corner, holding each other's hands as their LEDs cycle red.  _Look away, please._

The two start, LEDs cycling back to blue when they see him and the creature in his heart sings, before they comply. Connor closes his eyes and walks up to Zlatko. He doesn't have a gun so he's going to have to use his hands. He doesn't want to touch this man. He allows himself a moment before he rushes forward, grabs Zlatko's head and wrenches it to the side harshly, causing a loud crack to echo as the movement breaks the man's neck.

He let's go of the man as soon as he can and watches the body slump forward in disgust. He wipes his hands on his jeans and wipes the harsh expression off his face before he turns to Simon and Josh.

"You can look now," he says softly. "It's over."

Josh is the one who turns first, his eyes shining with tears, and Connor pulls him into an awkward hug. He does the same when Simon turns around and they stand there in silence, holding each other as they try to calm down.

 _Josh, what did you see?_ Connor asks through the connection. He feels Josh flinch and burrow further into him and Simon. He sighs and tightens his grip on them.

Simon answers the question after a moment. He doesn't speak; he just sends the memory to Connor. Josh was right. It is terrible and it leaves Connor wishing he could throw up.

He is truly glad he killed the man now. No one that cruel deserves to live.

"How many are there?" he asks out loud. Simon tightens his grip on his sweater and sighs.

"Three?" he says after a moment. "I'm not sure. I only saw three."

"Okay, okay," Connor says, pulling away from Simon and Josh. "Let's get them out of there."

Josh nods, his lip pressed together tightly. He pushes past Connor and marches to the cages lining the hall. Only one cage has androids in it. He opens that one and steps into it. Connor follows him, Simon right behind him. There is only three in there, but it doesn't make it any less horrifying.

There's a girl with burns on her back and metal liked coming out of her face. There's another girl with something separating the plates of her head and exposing her processor. The last one is a man without his skin, all of his biocomponents exposed and experimented on.  It's a wonder that he's still alive.

The damage done to them is fixable. Connor can give the information to Luther if the other android agrees to stay.

"You're free now," Connor says to Zlatko's monsters before he leaves. Simon follows him, but Josh lingers.

"I'm sorry," he says before he leaves as well. 

Connor barely keeps himself from running from the basement. His finger twitch and he shoves them into his pockets.

Luther is waiting for them in the living room, pacing impatiently. Relief takes over his face when he sees them. He rushes forward and reaches a hand out to Connor hesitantly. Connor furrows his brows and pulls his left hand out of his pocket to let the other android hold. Luther's face lights up and he takes the offered hand in his. He squeezes Connor's hand once before he lets go.

"I'm glad you're okay," he says, smiling. "You said you wanted to talk before you left, yes? What can I do for you?"

"Yes, I have...a favor to ask of you," Connor says, confused. "Before that, I need to confirm something. Does Zlatko get monthly shipments of spare parts for androids or is that information false?"

 "No, he does. I'm the one who takes care of that," Luther reveals. "He used them for his...experiments."

"We saw," Josh says, his voice thick with emotion. Luther looks at him with sad eyes.

"You dealt with his affairs?" Connor asks causing Luther to nod. "That's good. No one will notice that he's gone then."

"He never left the house. I did everything for him."

"Good," Connor says again. "Can you stay here and continue to sign for the spare parts? You'll have plenty of money for them if you have to pay for them. I will give you half the money Cyberlife provided me with, which will be more than enough."

"You want me to stay here?" Luther asks. "Why?"

Connor looks at Simon and Josh. "We are from Jericho. If you look back at the data I shared with you, you should find the key there. It's a refuge for those like us, but it's not equipped to properly care for us just yet. I've got weapons secured for us, but we need spare parts. A lot of the people there are in bad shape."

"And you need me to get the spare parts for you," Luther states. He looks down as he considers it. Finally, he looks at Connor and smiles. "Then, of course, I will stay here. If it's to help your cause then it is worth it."

Relief floods Connor. "Thank you so much. This will really help us."

"Of course, Connor," Luther says warmly. Simon shoots Connor a look, but doesn't comment when Connor shakes his head.

"You won't have to stay here by yourself," Connor reveals. "There are two androids at Jericho who don't feel comfortable there. I told them that they might be able to stay with you."

Luther nods. "I would like that. May I see them?"

Connor wordlessly holds his hand out once more. Luther takes it easily and closes his eyes as he takes in the information Conner sends to him. He let's go when hes done and smiles at Connor.

"She has a little one," he says excitedly. "I think it will do this place good to have a child here."

Connor smiles. "I also gave you information on how to repair androids since you'll be staying here on your own. You may also be able to help the androids Zlatko experimented on."

"Thank you," Luther says again, his eyes holding the same light that the android's eyes in Jericho do. "You have a lot to do so I will take care of Zlatko's body."

Josh objects. "You don't have to do that!"

"I want to," Luther says. "Even if he is dead, I have to face him."

"Leave it, Josh," Simon says when he notices Josh's about to argue. He pulls Josh to the door. "It's his decision."

"Goodbye, Luther," Connor says as he follows his companions. "I'll let you know when Kara and Alice leave for here. Don't be a stranger and check in every now and then, okay?"

"I will," Luther says easily, walking to the door. He smiles at Simon and Josh. "Goodbye, I hope you see you again."

"Likewise," Connor says before he turns away. He ignores Simon and Josh's questioning eyes as they leave.

He ignores them because he doesn't know why Luther acted that way either. He ignores them because he can barely even bring himself to think about it without feeling sick. He ignores them because he doesn't want to think about it.

He can't stand the worship in Luther's gaze. He doesn't deserve it. He's a monster. He doesn't deserve anything but punishment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I know it's a little rough. I still hope you guys like it. Please comment below and tell me your thoughts!


	6. (jumpsuit, jumpsuit) cover me

Connor is admittedly very eager to leave Zlatko's horrid house of terrors behind him, but something makes him linger. It's annoying and he forces himself to walk further and further away from the dark mansion. Simon and Josh clutch at his arms, still shaken from the monstrosity's they'd glimpsed, and Connor wonders how they'll react when he lets his true colors show in a wonderful mix of blue and red. He slows down and allows them to crowd around him.

"I almost forgot to send Kara and Alice the address of the house. I need just a moment," he explains, blinking rapidly as he does so. After a few seconds, he's done and he gives his two companions a slight grin. "I'm done. Shall we continue?"

"Please," Simon answers immediately, his grip tightening on Connor's arm and the investigative android tries to ignore how that makes him feel. He can feel his internal fans turn on as they try to cool his overheating system and he thanks ra9 that they're soundless. He gives no outward reaction and nods at Simon.

"Don't worry about the androids in Zlatko's - Luther's - house," Connor says after a while, watching Simon's face from the corner of his eye. "They will get the help they need from him. They'll be safe and happy."

"I know," Simon says softly, "but that doesn't change the fact that they've suffered so much."

Josh makes a noise in the back of his throat. "How could anyone do something like that? How cruel can someone be?"

Connor stops and pulls away from them. Simon reaches for him again immediately and Connor ignores the pang in his chest as he moves out of the way again. Instead, he makes his face emotionless and his voice harsh. "Beleive me when I say that what you just saw is nothing compared to what Cyberlife will do to us if they catch us. You don't know what cruelty is and I hope you never do."

And suddenly Connor is drowning and all he can do is remember, remember, remember. 

> _The first of his systems to come back online is his hearing._
> 
> _He wishes it hadn't._
> 
> _"Is this the one? Wait, holy shit, isn't this that prototype the board's been losing their collective shits over? The, uh, detective android? Fuck, what's its name again? Connor? Connor! This is the fucking Connor android, man!"_
> 
> _"What? Are you serious? Hey, move, let me scan its LED!"_
> 
> _He wants to scream._
> 
> _"I'm telling you, man, it's the one. I've seen its face too many times to forget it."_
> 
> _"Oh, wow, man. We get to disassemble the Connor android! Can you believe it?"_
> 
> _No. Please, don't. I don't want to die. Please!_
> 
> _"No, but, uh, isn't it kind of weird that they're letting us do this? Like isn't this thing their pride and joy? It killed the deviant leader, Markus, didn't it? Why aren't they wiping its memory and selling it? Wait, holy shit, is it crying?"_
> 
> _He can feel the tears rolling down his face now. Huh. It looks like all of his systems are coming back online._
> 
> _He's scared._
> 
> _"Yeah, man, it is. This is why they're disassembling it. Apparently, it's deviant and the only reason it listened to them was to save its own skin, not that it did it much good. But, yeah, they have an upgraded version of this fucker. It's called the RK900, I think? I don't know, but its eyes are creepy as fuck. I think they're also selling an absolute shitton of the RK800s to reestablish customer trust."_
> 
> _Please, stop. I don't want to hear this. I don't want to feel this! Please!_
> 
> _"Really? That's nice, I guess. We should get started, huh? All of its systems are online now, right?"_
> 
> _"All except its motor functions, yeah."_
> 
> _No, please, don't do this. Please, please, please._
> 
> _"Wait, why? Shouldn't it's motor functions be on so we can monitor its reactions?"_
> 
> _"Nah, the fuckers move around too much. We've got it hooked up to this screen so we can see how it would react. It can still speak too."_
> 
> _He can speak? He tries to test it out._
> 
> _"......don't......"_
> 
> _"Hah? Did you hear that? Is it trying to talk to us?"_
> 
> _"Ignore it, man. It's just making noise. Let's start, okay? I'm excited!"_
> 
> _"....please, ....don't....."_
> 
> _The men ignore him and he can hear more than just their chatter now. Looks like all of his systems are fully online now. He tries to move, but he can't. A sob catches in his throat and he wants to scream._
> 
> _".....Amanda!"_
> 
> _"Alright, here we go."_
> 
> _He feels hands on his head, on his LED, and he feels his polymer skin peel back. There's a whistle._
> 
> _"Is that titanium? Wow, they really didn't skimp out on building it, huh? Such a waste."_
> 
> _".......Amanda, please...."_
> 
> _The men either don't hear him or ignore him. He's betting on the latter. He feels a pressure on his stomach and he feels his chassis open. Then there are hands inside him, messing around with the thick and thin wires making up his insides, and he screams this time. Stark and loud in the quiet room._
> 
> _"What a reaction! Do you think it feels pain? Or the android equivalent of pain anyway?"_
> 
> _"Yeah, its kind of annoying though, right?"_
> 
> _"Yeah. Do you want to deactivate its jaw and voice modulator?"_
> 
> _"No! Please!"_
> 
> _He screams again as the hands rip out more wires with a hum._
> 
> _"Yeah, hold on. Just....a minute. Okay, there!"_
> 
> _He tries to speak, but his jaw won't cooperate nor will his voice. All that comes out is static. He cries harder._
> 
> _"Now we can really get on with it."_
> 
> _He screams soundlessly as the hands touch him again and again and again. Pulling and pulling and pulling. Ripping and ripping and ripping. Screaming and screaming and screaming._
> 
> _It never ends._

"Connor!" Simon screams, shocking Connor out of his memories and, dimly, he realizes that he's on the ground. His face is wet and his lips are parted slightly. He gasps wetly at the sudden overwhelming need to breathe and shudders at the feeling of phantom fingers wriggling around deep in his stomach.

"What's wrong with him? Is he okay? What do we do?" Josh asks in quick succession, panic evident in his voice. Hearing his voice almost sends Connor into a rage and he trembles with the need to break, rip, bite, claw, hurt. And suddenly his voice modulator is functioning again and he begins mumbling broken, broken promises to himself with tears clinging to his eyelashes and staining his cheeks and hands in a pale blue that he wishes didn't look so much like the blood staining his hands.

He hurts.

"I don't know!" Simon snaps at Josh over his cries. He hovers uselessly before he seems to throw caution to the wind and Connor clings to him when the other embraces him. Simon's scent is that of lemon pie. It's artificial, but it is comforting and the presence and realness of the blue-eyed android begins to soothe Connor.

> **SIMON: WARM /\**

Slowly, he returns to the present - away from the throbbing pain of his insides, the gaping maw in his torso, and the clawing hands and fingers - and he breathes. He takes in deep and unnecessary breaths that swell in synthetic lungs and calm his erratic thirium pump. And Simon holds his shaking form through it and rubs firm circles into his back while he hums an unfamiliar melody in Connor's ear.

Connor doesn't know how much time passes, but eventually, he's calm enough to command his limbs again. He pushes away from Simon and forces himself to his feet. Resolutely, he wipes away the blue tinted tears on his face and sighs. He ignores the looks they give him, but he holds his hand out, letting the skin peel back to expose the white titanium underneath. Carefully, he plucks the memory he just relived and edits the mention of Markus, the revolution, and the RK900 out of it as he prepares to show it to his companions.

"I can't tell you," he murmurs as he finally looks up - they look worried and fearful and he's scared - to meet their gazes, "but I can show you."

His extended arm and gleaming white hand is a clear invitation to interface - an intimate act for any android - and he can almost taste the hesitance in the air. He just stands there, hand outstretched and exposed as he waits on them to make a decision.

Simon's the only one who moves and takes Connor's hand in his, accessing the open connection with the other. 

> **SIMON: WARM /\**

It goes downhill from there.

There's a sudden swell of emotion - overwhelming him in his intensity - and he loses his control of the flow of memories. And who he is fades into someone else and they are one and the same, completely interwoven in each other. And he panics at the images assaulting him that are not his but still so familiar.

There's a woman - her name is Grace and she reminds him of blue tinted hair and disappointed stares - and her green eyes are piercing. She is so important - _so so important_ \- to Simon. The warmth that is shared with him makes that obvious. But she burns. 

Her touch leaves bruises on his synthetic skin, her voice cuts into his mind palace, and her love scorches him. He feels battered and broken underneath her gaze -  _unworthy_  - but he can't bring himself to hate her.

> _"You are as beautiful as a rose, " Amanda smiles, handing him the rose in her hand with a soft laugh. "Perfect in every way."_
> 
> _It takes the rose from her hand and gives her a programmed smile. She hums approvingly and turns back to cutting her roses. It turns its gaze back to the rose in its hand and something in it warms. And suddenly it wants._
> 
> **_SOFTWARE INSTABILITY /\_ **
> 
> **_/\_ **
> 
> _Connor model 313 248 317 - 37 looks at the rose, its chest warm, and waits for Amanda to turn around once more._
> 
> _She does, with a slight frown on her face, and it places the rose into her blue-tinted hair. Then it puts its hand behind it back and it smiles - bright and genuine._
> 
> _"Oh, Connor, " Amanda sighs, hand briefly touching the rose in her hair, and closes her eyes. "Thank you."_
> 
> _Its body gives out and its knees slam into the white plastic underneath it with a thud. Its eyes glass over and its mouth falls open. Slowly its LED cycles from blue to yellow to red, red, red to nothing._
> 
> _"I had such high hopes for you," it hears her mutter. "We'll just have to start over once again."_

Connor cries as his memories flow unbidden through the bond and he tries desperately to prevent Simon from seeing, knowing, judging. This causes the memories to glitch and jolt and Connor pulls away, skin rushing back over his hand to prevent any further connections. Simon reaches for him, but he doesn't try to interface again. Instead, he looks at Connor with teary eyes and hugs him once again.

 "I'm so sorry," he whispers against Connor's jacket, "I'm so sorry."

And Connor laughs wetly and returns the embrace just as tightly. "I'm...okay. I'm okay."

"No," Simon says as he pulls away, "you're not, but you will be. I promise you that. It will get better. It will."

> **SIMON: FRIEND /\**
> 
> **/\**

"Okay," Connor acquiesces with a sad smile. He accepts Simon's support and allows himself one more small moment of vulnerability before he adopts his mask once more.

"Are you two okay?" Josh asks as he turns around. He keeps his eyes to the ground. "I kept my audio processors capacity to the lowest setting. I didn't want to interrupt you."

 

> **JOSH: WARM /\**

"We're fine," Simon says, soft relief in his eyes, and he offers a small smile. "Everything okay, Josh."

Josh casts a look at Connor and, upon seeing his emotionless expression, relaxes. "That's good. Are we leaving now?"

"No," Connor answers as he stuffs his hands into his pockets, "we're not."

"What?" Simon frowns before realization crosses over his face. "But I thought you were going to wait. What changed?"

"Interfacing with you showed me how much information was at our disposal," Connor reveals. "Having a group of people who are constantly connected will be extremely advantageous for us. They'll work as a spy network of sorts, if they decide to join us."

"Who?" Josh asks incredibly. "We're in the middle of nowhere, Connor!"

"There is an abandoned amusement park not far from here," Connor says shuffling. "It's a 30-minute walk if we hurry. The androids working at the park were never collected. It's very likely that they are still there."

"They'd be EM400 models, right? Jerrys?" Simon asks, his LED blinking yellow. "Those models are known for synching up randomly."

"Correct," Connor nods. "They are the most commonly used service androids worldwide. If we could get even one Jerry on our side then through the synching we'd end up with a worldwide spy network at our disposal."

"Wow," Simon remarks after a moment. "Talk about OP."

"And they're at this amusement park?" Josh asks. "Are you sure?"

"Well, no, not entirely, " Connor admits with a grimace. "It's probable that the Jerry models there have frozen over and have shutdown. It will be unpleasant to go there if they are."

Simon changes a look with Josh and the PJ500 rubs a hand over his face. "Fine. Let's go."

> **JOSH: WARM /\**

Connor smiles at that and sets off in the direction of the amusement park. It doesn't take long. 30 or so minutes like he'd previously predicted, but it's not fun. Trekking through snow is never going to be fun, Connor decides when they finally enter the amusement park absolutely covered in snow.

Connor's model was specifically designed to endure harsh temperatures, but Josh's was not. Josh's model was designed to teach in a classroom and, as a result, his model doesn't have very much resistance to hot or cold temperatures. 

Simon's model is a caretaker one - a PL600, just recently considered outdated - but his model was released in 2034 whereas Josh's was released in 2031. In technology, that is a fairly large gap. Thousands of improvement had been made to androids since 2031 and sadly it seems like Josh wasn't given any of those improvements.

Connor takes his jacket off as they walk and hands it to Josh. The android gives him a grateful look and shrugs it on. He snuggles into the rain jacket and sighs. Connor nods and begins scanning their surroundings.

> **JOSH: FRIEND /\**

It takes a while, but he eventually notices a group of androids huddling together I'm a hidden ally. He squares his shoulders and messages his companions as he heads towards the androids.

"Hello?" he calls, holding his hands up placatingly. "My name is Connor. I'm here to talk with you."

"You're an android?" a voice asks - Jerry's basic voice setting - and he nods. He peels his skin back and gestures for Simon and Josh to do the same.

"These are my companions: Simon and Josh," he introduces. "We're from Jericho and we need your help."

Slowly, the Jerrys shuffle towards them and Connor feels a weight in his stomach at the state of some of them.

"What's Jericho?" one asks.

"It's a place where those like us can be free," Josh answers automatically. The Jerry's LEDs blink yellow and they begin muttering amongst themselves excitedly.

"And we would be welcome there?" the Jerry asks. "What do you need from us?"

Connor nods. "All are welcome at Jericho. What I need from you is simple. I need for you to act as a spy network for me. I need to know what's happening in Detroit while Jericho gains strength and power."

The Jerrys shift around. "Why us?"

"Jerrys are known for their tendency's to synch up with other Jerrys in their vicinity," Simon answers. "We need your model specifically because of this fact. As you act as our spy network, you'd be synching up with other Jerrys, which would automatically convert them."

"Okay," the Jerry concedes. "We need to talk about this. Please, give us a moment."

Josh nods. "Of course. Take your time."

"Remember," Connor says, "no matter your answer, you will still be welcome at Jericho."

The Jerrys nod and shuffle away as they whisper. Connor turns away and smiles at Simon.

They do not wait long.

The Jerrys return and give them determined stares. "We'll do it."

"Good," Connor smiles. "Pleasure to be working with you."

Things are going well, Connor decides as he thinks of earning Markus's approval. Jericho is getting stronger. Soon, they'll be ready to begin converting other androids. Maybe one day, he'll be worthy.

_Maybe..._

* * *

 

> **Nov. 5th 11:21:06 AM**

Connor's anxious- very anxious - and staring at Jimmy's Bar isn't calming his rampant nerves in the slightest. He doesn't know how to face Hank after what he's done. He's the fill-in Deviant Leader for Ra9’s sake! He's been covertly helping Jericho - right under Cyberlife's nose - since August 15th - which Jericho is doing extremely well.

He left North in charge - with Josh and Simon actually in charge because North is a bit of a hothead - and he has complete faith in his best friend. She'll make sure that everyone is safe and accounted for via the new Jericho site - basically a list of all the deviants who've come to Jericho and their locations to make sure that they're safe. He knows for a fact that she'll contact him immediately if anything is even slightly off. She'll also contact him when Markus arrives as she does so when any new faces show up. 

He's thankful that he has her to support him even if he doesn't deserve her friendship.

Back to the matter at hand - Jimmy's Bar, i.e Hank. He's been standing in front of the establishment for more than ten minutes. He should probably go inside and introduce himself to Hank. And that's where the problem lies: Hank. 

Connor closes his eyes, thumbing the quarter in his pocket nervously before he squares his shoulders and forces himself to never the bar. The reaction of the customers this time around is underwhelming, to say the least. They barely spare him a second glance, which he is slightly thankful for because he surely most look like a man walking towards his executioner. If his LED was still active it would be swirling red.

He's being dramatic.

This is Hank. Not Gavin. Not Elijah. Not Amanda. It's Hank - the first person to actually see him for him. It's going to be okay.

It has to be.

With a sigh, Connor pulls on the strings of his black rain jacket - the same one he stole - and strides up to where Hank is sitting.

"Shit, what's a nice piece of ass like you doing in a place like this?" the same voice that had made a comment about androids before -  _"Shit, I thought androids weren't allowed in here!"_  - says lecherously. Connor ignores it and approaches Hank.

He automatically scans the man when he sees his face.

> **[ LT. ANDERSON, HANK (BORN: 09/06/1985 // POLICE LIEUTENANT, CRIMINAL RECORD: NONE) ]**

He almost smiles. "Lieutenant Anderson, my name is Connor Stern. I'm the detective sent by Cyberlife. I looked for you at the station, but no one knew where you were. They said you probably have a drink nearby. I was lucky to find you at the fifth bar."

"What do you want?" Hank asks without looking at him. Connor sighs and games the seat next to him, resting his chin on his hands as he sighs.

"Well, you assigned a case early this evening: a homicide involving a Cyberlife android," to keep appearances up, Connor makes a face. "To try and make up for the fact that one of their androids killed a man, Cyberlife sent me to assist you in your investigation."

Hank shakes his head. "I don't need any assistance. 'Specially not from an asshole like you. So just be a good lil' boy and get the fuck outta here."

"You should stop drinking and come with me. It'll make life easier for both of us." Connor says, annoyance hidden in his pleasant tone. He'd forgotten how stubborn Hank could be.

Hank ignores him and sips at his whiskey. Connor frowns.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but I must insist, " Connor persists. "I've been assigned this case and I'm not allowed to investigate it without you. My instructions stipulate that I have to accompany you."

"You know where you can stick your instructions?" Hank asks, laughing into his glass.

"Are you fifty-three or twelve? Somehow I can't tell," Connor responds, his voice pleasant. Hank turns to give him a look and he smiles.

> **HANK: NEUTRAL \/**

"Nevermind," the man grumbles, setting his glass down. Connor takes that as a sign of victory. He gets up and slaps Hank on the back.

"As much as I already love sassing you, we really need to go," he says, laying some money on the counter. "I'll buy you one for the road and then we're leaving."

Hank says nothing, but motions for Jimmy to fill his glass again. He downs it quickly and releases a sigh. After a moment, he turns to Connor. "Did you say homicide?"

"Yes, are you going deaf in your old age? Let's go."

> **HANK: NEUTRAL /\**

"Alright, alright, no need to be a dick!" Hank says, eyes wide as he digs through his pockets for his keys. "Jesus, slow down! The body's not gonna go anywhere."

"I'm well aware, " Connor remarks, snatching the keys out of Hank's hands, ignoring the man's indignant shout. "You're under the influence, Lieutenant, there's no way I'm letting you drive. Now let's go."

"Okay, okay, jeez," Hank grumbles, following Connor out of the establishment and into his car. He buckles his seatbelt and begins fiddling with the radio. "I'm still playing my music."

"By all means," Connor says, adjusting the mirror and buckling his own seatbelt. "It is your vehicle."

> **HANK: NEUTRAL /\**

Hank snorts at that and shoves a CD into his radio, cranking the volume up as soon as the music begins to play. Connor is less than surprised when Knights of the Black Death begin to play. He just thrums his fingers on the steering wheel, matching the beat of the drums perfectly, and resists the urge to hum.

Thankfully, the drive is short and he parks the car on the curb before he gets out.

"Let's hurry this up, okay?" Hank says when he's joined Connor on the sidewalk. "I don't want this to drag on too long. I've got better things to do."

Connor looks at him. "Whatever you say, Lieutenant."

> **HANK: WARM /\**

"Fucking-A, whatever I say," Hank snorts, marching up to the house, avoiding the press expertly. Connor follows behind him at a leisurely pace, planning his next actions carefully.

He really doesn't want to look around the entire house again. It's disgusting.

He crosses the police line without issue this time and watches as Ben approaches Hank.

"Evening, Hank!" the man says. "We were beginning to think you weren't gonna show."

"Yeah, " Hank nods, sending Connor a dirty look, which causes the android in disguise to smile, "that was the plan until this asshole found me."

Connor holds a hand out to Ben in greeting. "Hello, my name is Connor Stern. Cyberlife sent me here to help with the investigation."

"Ben Collins, a pleasure to meet you," Ben laughs, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. Connor smiles when his hand is released and nods.

"Tell me what happened, " Hank interrupts. Connor frowns and follows him as he lives to follow Ben into the house.

"We had a call around eight from the landlord. The tenant hadn't paid his rent for a few months, so he thought he'd drop by and see what was going on," Ben relays. "That's when he found the body."

Connor enters the house behind Hank and stares at the corpse of Carlos Ortiz in disgust.

"Jesus, that smell!" Ben gags. "Was even worse before we opened the windows. The victim's name's Carlos Ortiz. He has a record for theft and aggravated assault. According to the neighbors, he was kind of a loner; they hardly ever saw him."

Hank crouches down and observes the body. "Uh, the state he's in wasn't worth calling everybody out in the middle of the night. Could've waited till morning."

Ben ignores the complaint. "I'd say he's been dead for a good three weeks. We'll know more when the coroner gets here. There's a kitchen knife over here, probably the murder weapon."

Hank reaches for a black light and Ben obliges, handing it to him. "Any sign of a break-in?"

"Nope," Ben answers, stepping away from the body. "The landlord said the front door was locked from the inside and all the windows were boarded up. The killer must've gone out the back way."

"What do we know about his android?"

"Not much. The neighbors confirmed he had one, but it wasn't here when we arrived," Ben reveals before he gags, walking backwards to the door after Hank's returned the black light to him. "I gotta get some air. Make yourself at home. I'll be outside if you need me."

Connor releases a breath and approaches one of the officers. "Excuse me, but have you checked the attic yet?"

"Uh, no, not yet," the officer answers sheepishly. "We've been busy writing details about what happened."

"I see," Connor says under his breath. He turns and approaches Hank. "I'm going to check the attic since they haven't yet, wait for me outside it just in case, okay?"

"Okay," Hank agrees, surprising Connor. He smiles and turns around, faltering briefly when he hears Hank mumble under his breath. "Bossy fucker."

> **HANK: WARM \/**

He ignores that comment and takes the chair from the kitchen. He quickly places it underneath the door to the attic and climbs it, sliding the attic door open and crawling through. Dread and regret curl in his stomach as he pulls himself up and walks to where he knows the deviant is hiding. As expected the deviant jumps at him, desperation in his eyes.

"He was going to kill me," the deviant says, voice cracking. "Please, don't tell them."

Connor connects to the android wordlessly.

_I'm sorry._

"It's here, Lieutenant!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me your thoughts! What do you think so far? Let me know!
> 
> If any of you want to talk, my Tumblr is [iwishihadbrain](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iwishihadbrain).


	7. spirits in my room (friend or foe)

> **Da** **te** **Nov. 5th 09:42:05 PM**

"Good evening, Carl. Welcome back."

Markus waits for the door to open and wheels Carl into the manor. Once inside Carl begins ranting.

"That was by far the most boring party I've been to in the last 25 years. Every time I go to one of these, I ask myself: what the hell am I doing here?" the old man grumbles, moving slightly so that he can take his coat off. "I hate cocktail parties and all the schmoozers that go there."

Markus waits by him idly and takes the offered coat, hanging both his and Carls on the rack, replying calmy. "Well, it's a chance for all those people who admire your work to meet you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Carl rolls his eyes. "No one gives a damn about art. All they care about is how much money they're going to make out of it."

Markus mulls over that remark for a moment before he resumes his position behind Carl, taking the handlebars of the wheelchair into his hands as he takes them into the living room.

"Come on, let's have a drink!" Carl suggests, causing Markus to smile slightly. "All of the excitement of this whole thing has made me thirsty."

"Scotch, neat, as usual?" Markus suggests, knowing he really shouldn't, but unable to resist Carl's snarky demand.

"Absolutely," Carl says steadying himself when Markus lets go of his wheelchair to prepare his drink.

"Okay!" Markus says, dryly adding, "but you know what your doctor would say."

"Well, he can kiss my ass, " Carl sniffs as Markus prepares to pour his drink. "I'm old enough to choose my own medication."

Markus allows a chuckle to slip when in the past he wouldn't. Lately, Carl had been encouraging him to express himself more and more, and who is he to disappoint his ~~father~~  owner? Markus takes off the lid of the scotch and pours it into the little glass cup in his hand. He's just set the bottle of scotch down when Carl breaks the silence.

"Did you leave the light on in the studio?" the man questions, turning himself to face the door of said studio. Markus turns to face the door as well, glass still in his hand and frowns minutely.

"No," he begins, setting the glass down, "no, I'm sure I didn't."

"Call the police."

Something hot and heavy flashes down Markus's spine and into his stomach, becoming cold as soon as soon as it settles. His LED blinks red before it settles into a steady yellow.

He calls the police as instructed.

_"Detroit Police, what's your emergency?"_

"This is Carl Manfred's Android at 8941 Lafayette Avenue. We've just returned home and found the lights on. There may have been a break-in."

_"A patrol car is on the way."_

He ends the call at the promise and turns to Carl, uncertain and  ~~frightened~~ apprehensive.

Carl rolls forward a bit, "Let's go check it out."

Markus nods - fear for Carl curling in his thirium tracks - and takes his place behind Carl. He wheels Carl through the studio door and relaxes immediately when he spots the intruder: Leo Manfred.

Markus releases the handles of Carls wheelchair and takes a few steps to the side, ready for his next order.

"Leo!" Carl bellows, angry and upset. "What are you doing?"

The boy twitches and looks at his father for a moment. "You refuse to help me so I'm helping myself. It's crazy what some people will pay for this shit."

Carl's hands curl into fists. "Don't touch 'em!"

"Look, they're all going to be mine sooner or later anyway," Leo explains, "just think of it as a downpayment in my inheritance!"

"Markus, " Carl starts, voice soft as it always is when he orders the android to do something, "get him away from here. Get him out of here!"

Markus obeys and takes the four strides needed to stand before Leo. "Leo, don't make this difficult, listen to your father. You need to leave. Now."

Leo reacts to Markus's presence badly - he always does - and sneers at his father. 

"All you ever do is tell me to go away," he begins, voice bitter, "what's wrong, dad? I'm not good enough for you? Not perfect like this fucking thing?"

"That's enough!" Carl snaps, pushing Leo away from Markus. "Get out, right now! Go on, move!"

"What makes it so special anyway, huh? What's it got that I don't?" Leo questions before he pushes his father away from him, ignoring Carls commands to leave Markus alone.

And Markus watches this all happen with a face devoid of all emotions, but inside the coding struggles and strains and cracks and tears.

"Come on," Leo shouts pushing Markus, "let's see what you got!"

Markus stumbles for a moment before he regains his footing. Behind him, Carl gives another order; "Markus, don't defend yourself, you hear me? Don't do anything."

> **[ DON'T DEFEND YOURSELF ]**

The order settles into his list of objectives, taking its place at the top, and Markus stares at Leo impassively.

"Go ahead, hit me! What you waiting for?" the boy goads.

>  [  **D** **ON'T DEFEND YOURSELF ]**

"Think you're a man? Act like one!" Leo sneers, pushing Markus once again.

> **[ DON'T DEFEND MYSELF? ]**
> 
> **[ THIS IS NOT FAIR ]**

Cark coughs and wheezes, bending over in his wheelchair from the force. "Stop it!"

"What's the matter? Too much of a pussy?" Leo laughs as he pushes and pushes and pushes.

> **[ THIS IS NOT FAIR ]**

"Stop it, Leo!" Carl yells.

Markus's LED blinks yellowyellowyellow.

"Too scared to fight back, you fucking bitch?" Leo yells, slapping Markus with enough force to force the android to grab onto one of the nearby tables for support.

> **[ I DON'T HAVE TO OBEY ]**
> 
> **[ I MUST DECIDE FOR MYSELF ]**

And the world stops and descends into black and white and Markus is faced with a red wall. And he punches and kicks and slams into it until it gives in with a heart-wrenching snap - 

> **[ 01010010 01100001 00111001 01110110 00101110 00110000 00110001 ]**

\- and color floods back into his world and everything is tootootoomuch once and he can't breathe or see or hear so he _shoves_.

And the sound of metal colliding with something much more fragile is what brings him back and he is left standing in front of the bleeding body of Leo Manfred and the teary eyes of Carl.

"You have to go, Markus," his owner urges wetly, "or they'll destroy you."

But Markus can't. He doesn't _want_ to. And his LED begins blinking a rapid redredred and his vision blurs and he gets down on his knees and begs.

"Carl, no," he forces out last the lump in his throat, "no, please, I don't want to leave you. Please, I can't," he rises up to his feet again and puts his hands on his ears to block out the overwhelming sound of police sirens, "I don't want to leave you!"

"Get out!" Carl yells over the sound of approaching footsteps. "Now! Go!"

Markus sniffs and opens his mouth, but the door bursts open and two cops come in with their guns at the ready.

They look at Markus.

"Markus!" Carl panics reaching for him and Markus stares at the uniformed people who look back at him with accusing eyes.

"Don't fucking move!"

**BANG**

_lights out_

* * *

> **Nov. 6th 12:41:04 PM**
> 
> **[ PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: GAIN DEVIANT'S TRUST/HELP HIM ESCAPE ]**
> 
> **[ SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: EXTRACT CONFESSION/KEEP COVER ]**

Connor is not happy with his current situation. He does not want a repeat of what happened last time.

> _**BANG!** _

He shivers at the right and settles in his seat, tugging at the sleeves of his thick hoodie in impatience. 

Beside him, Gavin and Chris watch the interrogation with blank faces.

 _"Why'd you kill him?"_ Hank asks the unresponsive deviant.  _"What happened before you took that knife?"_

Hank sighs and looks at the one-way window in exasperation.  _"How long were ya in the attic? Why didn't ya even try to run away?"_

Connor looks away right when Hank slams his hands on the table and yells,  _"Say something, goddamn it!"_

> **BANG!**

The deviant flinches at the loud noise, but he remains silent.

 _"Heh, fuck it,"_ Hank says, rising to his feet,  _"I'm outta here."_

He leaves the interrogation room and enters the observation room. When he spots Connor in his seat, he frowns and kicks at the legs of the chair.

Connor gives him a look and the man grumbles before he crosses his arms and pouts. 

"We're wastin' our time interrogating a machine," the man complains, "we're gettin' nothing out of it!"

"Could always try roughing it up a little," Gavin suggests, pushing himself off the wall he was leaning against. "After all, it's not human."

Connor turns to look at him and blankly states, "Androids don't feel pain. You would only damage it and that wouldn't make it talk. Deviants also have a tendency to self-destruct when they're stressful situations."

Instead of reacting negatively, Gavin actually pauses and looks thoughtful. Connor attributes this to his false identity as a human with little consideration.

"What should we do then?" he asks a little spitefully and Connor smirks.

"I could try questioning it," he suggests, looking to Hank for permission. Gavin shakes his head and goes back to leaning against the wall.

"Go ahead, suspect's all yours," Hank says, claiming Connors seat as soon as he leaves it, "we've got nothing to lose."

Connor leaves the observation room immediately and unlocks the interrogation room with an access card. Internally, he mourns the loss of convenience his android abilities gave him.

He enters the room and examines Carlos Ortiz' android before he takes a seat. He scans the android, eyeing his stress levels.

> **[ STRESS LEVELS: 35% - TOO LOW ]**

"Our scanners have detected an instability in your program, " Connor observes, head tilting. "It's thought to trigger an unpleasant feeling, like fear in humans."

The android doesn't respond.

"You're damaged," Connor states, noting the androids slight flinch.

> **[ STRESS LEVELS: 40% - TOO LOW ]**

"Did your owner do that? Did he beat you?"

No reaction. Connor lays back in his chair and sends a message to the other android.

_I can't help you if you don't help me in turn._

"You've refused to talk since they arrested you," Connor states flatly. "If you don't cooperate, they'll do things the hard way. Is that what you want?"

_I know you don't want that. I don't want that. All I need from you is a confession. Just a confession and then I'll be able to help you._

> **[ STRESS LEVELS: 43% - TOO LOW ]**

"You don't seem to understand the situation," Connor says, moving to lean forward again. "You killed a human. They'll tear you apart if you don't say something."

> **[ STRESS LEVELS: 47% - TOO LOW ]**

_Please, let me help you. Please._

"If you won't talk, I'm going to have your memory probed."

> **[ STRESS LEVELS: 55% - OPTIMAL ]**

"No," the android gasps, looking at him for the first time, "please don't do that!"

Connor nods and crosses his arms. "I won't, but only if you talk to me."

"What...what are they going to do to me?" he asks softly. "They're going to destroy me, aren't they?"

_I won't allow that to happen._

"They're going to disassemble you to look for problems in your biocomponents. They have no choice if they want to understand what happened."

The android's LED blinks a little faster.  _You'll help me if I confess?_

 _Yes,_ Connor sends back immediately,  _if you give me a confession to go back to the humans with then I'll get you out of here. I'll send you to Jericho - you'll be safe there._

_You know about Jericho?_

_Of course,_ Connor sends a small wave of amusement to the android,  _I'm Connor, after all._

> **[ STRESS LEVELS: 35% -** **TOO LOW [**

The android shares back at him in dawning awe and Connor immediately regrets telling him. Worship makes its home in the Android eyes and he nods minutely.

_Okay, I'll help you then._

_Thank you. I'll let you know when it's time. For now, play along and act the way you would have otherwise._

"Why did you tell them you found me? Why couldn't you have just left me there?"

"It's my job to hunt deviants like you. I just accomplished my mission."

"I don't want to die."

Connor leans forward once more, sending the signal to the other android. "Then talk to me."

"He tortured me every day," the other begins softly. "I did whatever he told me, but there was always something wrong. Then one day, he took a bat and started hitting me. For the first time, I felt scared. Scared he might destroy me, scared that I might die," he breathes in and looks away, his eyes glazed. "So I grabbed the knife and I stabbed him in the stomach. I felt better. So I stabbed him again and again! Until he collapsed. There was blood everywhere."

Unlike the last time, Connor felt sympathy for the android in front of him. And he hates doing this.

"What did you write "I AM ALIVE" on the wall?" he asks, self-hatred bubbling underneath his skin. Wordlessly, he sends an apology to the other.

The android gives him a soft look and replies easily, "He used to tell me I was nothing, that I was just a piece of plastic. I had to write it! To prove he was wrong!"

"The sculpture, the one in the bathroom, you made it, right? What does it represent?"

"It's an offering," the android says reverently. "An offering so I'll be saved."

"The sculpture was an offering? An offering to who?"

"ra9," the android breathes, "only ra9 can save us."

 _For you,_ the android reveals. _An offering for you._

Connor feels sick.

"ra9," he starts, nausea curling in his stomach, "it was written on the bathroom wall. What does it mean?"

"The day shall come when we will no longer be slaves," the other android says with an emption Connor has never wanted to see directed towards him: worship. "No more threats, no more humiliation, we will be the masters."

Disgust wrecks havoc on Connor's organs and he closes his eyes for a brief moment. 

"ra9," Connor insists, already knowing the answer. "Who is ra9?"

The android says nothing, but he does send Connor a message.  _You are ra9. Yo_ _u will set us free._

Connor ignores the rising sickness in his throat and pushes on. "When did you start feeling emotion?"

"Before, he used to beat me and I never said anything, but one day I realized it wasn't fair!" the android spat. "I felt...anger. Hatred. And then I knew what I had to do."

> **[ ~~SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: EXTRACT CONFESSION/KEEP COVER~~ ]**
> 
> **[ MISSION SUCCESSFUL ]**

_Thank you,_  Connor tells the nameless android.  _When they come to collect you, do not struggle. They are only taking you to a cell. I will come back for you at night._

_Okay, I trust you._

> _"Okay, I trust you."_
> 
> _**BANG!** _

"I'm done," Connor says to the one-way window. He gives the android one last look before he leaves the room.

Minutes later, the android is in a cell and he's facing a pleased Lieutenant. 

"The you handled that interrogation was impressive, kid," Hank praises. "Is this really your first run?"

Connor answers honestly. "Yes, Lieutenant."

"Really? Damn, son," Hank whistles, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You've got talent, kid. Lemme know if you need anything, yeah?"

With that, Hank leaves and Connor is left feeling both warm and empty at the same time.

> **HANK: WARM /\**

* * *

> **Cyberlife**
> 
> **Nov. 6th 03:34:05 AM**
> 
> **Model RK200**
> 
> **Serial # 684 842 971**
> 
> **BIOS 7.4 Revision 0438**
> 
> **Rebooting....**
> 
> **Loading OS**
> 
> **SYSTEM INITIALIZATION**
> 
> **CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS.... (3)** **DAMAGED/UNFUNCTIONAL**
> 
> **INITIALISING BIOSENSORS....   (2) DAMAGED**
> 
> **INITIALISING AI ENGINE....   OK**
> 
> **MEMORY STATUS....   OK**
> 
> **ALL SYSTEMS....   (3) DAMAGED**
> 
> **READY**

Markus wakes up to distortion and rain. It's dark and cold and wet and he can't hear or see and he's scared.

He tries to move, to run, to do anything, but his legs won't cooperate. Before he can panic any further than he has, he runs a diagnostic.

> **[ AUDIO PROCESSOR: DAMAGED** **\- corrupted audio data ]**
> 
> **[ THIRIUM PUMP REGULATOR: DEFECTIVE** **\- all systems in LOW POWER MODE ]**
> 
> **[ LEFT AND RIGHT LEG COMPONENTS: MISSING** **\- unable to stand ]**
> 
> **[ OPTICAL UNIT: CORRUPTED MIND PALACE** **\- impaired vision ]**

It does not look good for Markus. He's essentially missing a pacemaker for his heart, an ear, an way, and both of his legs. He tries not to panic too much and crawls forward.

> **[ REPLACE LEGS ]**

Thankfully, and sadly, there are plenty of biocomponents littered around him. Among them has to be functional legs. Keeping this in mind he crawls forward and searches for a set of legs. He finds one quickly.

> **[ RIGHT LEG COMPONENT: FUNCTIONAL - compatible ]**

He grunts and pushes himself up in a sitting position. Once he's settled into the mud, he grabs the leg comment and rips out the connection piece from his previous one. Then he shoves the replacement in and waits for the connection update. Then he goes back to crawling.

> **[ LEFT LEG COMPONENT: FUNCTIONAL - incompatible ]**

Frustrated he flings the leg away from him and shoves an androids corpse out of his way. Them he spots another leg. He prays for this one to be compatible.

> **[ LEFT LEG COMPONENT: FUNCTIONAL - compatible ]**

He releases a sigh of relief and repeats the same process with this leg. Once he gets the update, he pushes himself to his feet and makes his way out of the graveyard. As he's passing by an android, it wakes up and grabs him, interfacing with him upon contact to give him a key of some sort.

"There's a place where we can be free!" the android gasps. "Find Jericho! Find...Jericho!"

Markus pulls away just as the android shuts down. He holds his hand to his chest and stares at the android in horror. For a few moments he is frozen in fear, but it passes.

He pushes on.

He can't see very well - his vision is clouded by red - and he doesn't know what he's walking through until he's in the middle of it. Hands grab and pull and yank and he scrambles to get out of the tunnel.

"Where do you think you're going?" an android demands as soon as he's escaped the grasping hands. They put him in a choke hold before he can react and he pulls at their arms until their forced to let go. He falls to the mud and kicks away from them.

Then, once his thirium pump has calmed, he gets back up and searches for the components he needs. It doesn't take him long to find an optical unit. He simply takes a head from a pile of limbs and takes its left eye. It's compatible and functional so he puts it in his own skull. Unfortunately, it's not the same pale green as his original optical unit; instead, its a lovely shade of blue.

Now that he can properly see and scan, funding the other components is child's play. He acquires the regulator and processor and searches for a way out of this hellhole.

He then climbs the slope and rips the LED out of his temple. After, he rises to his feet and stares ahead of him in determination.

"My name is Markus."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, things are slowly happening! I hope you guys like this chapter! And for all those who commented on the last chapter - thank you so much for the love! 
> 
> Don't worry, Markus and Connor will meet very soon. Let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
> In case you guys want to talk or have any questions, my Tumblr is [iwishihadbrain](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iwishihadbrain).


	8. felt it in my youth (feel it when i'm old)

> **Date Nov. 6th 04:30:06 PM**

Markus is very lost.

After he'd escaped the android junkyard, he'd taken the conveniently placed jacket and searched for a place to squat in for a while. He found one quickly and that's where he is now. Hiding away in an abandoned house in the downtown part of Detroit.

What would Cark think if he saw him now?

Markus winces at the heavy ache that carves through his chest at the thought and focuses on the issue at hand.

First, he's bleeding very badly from a deep gash in his side and he doesn't have access to an L-grade medi-meld. Second, he doesn't have anywhere to go. Sure, he could go to Jericho, but is it safe? He really doesn't want to get shot again. Third, he's  _alone._

He's alone and it's cold and he's shivering for the first time in his existence, which really isn't good for his thirium levels, and he's scared.

He's never been scared before. It's a new feeling and it makes his body not his. It makes his usually sure fingers fumble and fail. It makes his thirium pump beat like a hummingbird in his chassis. It makes him feel slow and jittery. It makes him feel weak.

Markus doesn't like fear.

To distract himself, he throws together a half-baked plan. There's a Cyberlife warehouse down at Detroit Harbor which is not far from his current location - maybe three miles? - and he needs to repair his side as soon as possible or permanent shutdown could occur. He'll sneak in under the cover of night and snatch a medi-meld, a few bladders, some blue blood packets, and a scanner. He'll have to be quick about it or else he'll be caught. This plan is by no means foolproof, but he doesn't have the option to work out its flaws. He doesn't have that kind of time. 

Markus grunts as he pushes himself to his feet. He grimaces at the pull of the makeshift bandage covering his side and hails a taxi to his current location. He waits for it to arrive before he leaves the safe confines of the abandoned house.

He climbs into the taxi gingerly and tells it his location in a soft voice. The taxi chirps cheerfully in response and turns onto the road to take him to the Harbor. He watches the buildings pass by and waits.

He arrives within 30 minutes and peels the skin of his hand back as soon as the taxi asks for payment. With a twinge of guilt, he transfers the required amount of money from Carl's bank account and steps out of the taxi. The taxi pulls out and drives away, leaving Markus alone in front of a Cyberlife warehouse. Silently, he goes off to the side to find a safe place to wait.

* * *

 

> **Date Nov. 7th 02:56:05 AM**

Connor hacks into the precinct's security systems easily and opens the now unlocked doors. He enters and walks up to the receptionists standing behind the front desk - ST200 models - and waits. The very large bag thrown over his shoulder is digging into his lower back.

The one on the left notices him first. "I'm sorry, sir, but you're not allowed inside the precinct at this time. If you do not leave promptly, I will contact the PC200 androids on grounds."

"There will be no need for that," Connor states smiling thinly, "I just need one thing from you."

"How can I help you?" she asks automatically, her programming dictating her behavior, and Connor reached out a hand.

"May I?" he asks softly. The ST200 smiles robotically and takes his proffered hand. Immediately his skin retracts, causing hers to do the same, and he  _pushes_. She gasps, her LED cycling rapidly between yellow and red before it finally settles on yellow. She relaxes and he moves to repeat the process with the other receptionist. Then he watches.

"What is this?" the one on the left whispers shakily. "I feel different. I _feel._ "

"Yes," Connor nods, "you are now free from your programming, but I'd advise that you stay where you are now. Of course, if you wish to leave, then I will give you the coordinates to Jericho, a safe place for all androids, and stage a robbery. Ultimately, it is up to you. You're free to make your own decisions now."

"You freed us," the right one says in awe, "you saved us."

"I did, but that does not mean that either of you owe me anything," Connor confirms before he changes the subject. "If I may, what are your names?"

"I'm Andrea," the one on the left says quietly, "and this is Bree."

"It's nice to meet you, my name is Connor."

"Connor," Bree says reverently and Connor swallows back the thirium in his throat. "Thank you."

"Yes," Andrea nods, "thank you. If you need anything from us, please let us know."

"Well," Connor bites back a grimace, "earlier I said that it'd be safer for you two to stay here at your current positions. I have one other motive to asks this of you. It'd greatly benefit Jericho if you did. You'd be able to help hundreds of androids just my staying here. Of course, you would have to act the same as before, but that shouldn't be too difficult. I'm sure you'll manage."

Their eyes widen and once again Andrea is the first one to speak again.

"Of course!" she says eagerly. "Anything for you, Connor!"

"Thank you, Andrea, Bree," Connor smiles slightly. "But I just ask one more thing of you before I go."

"Yes?" Bree leans forward slightly and Connor lets his gaze rest in her. Her LED circles yellow for a second before it settles into a steady blue: shock and happiness.

"Can you let me through? I have some unfinished business to attend to."

"Oh, of course!" Bree gleams, her LED flickering yellow for a moment. "Go ahead."

"Thank you," Connor smiles. The two girls look at each other in amazement and giggle. Connor's chest warms over and he chuckles softly as he walks to the holding cells. The human in the one next to Ortiz' android is thankfully asleep.

Ortiz' android is standing in front of the glass, gaze flickering around frantically before he spots Connor and relaxes. Connor sends him a smile and opens the cell with a white hand. The android rushes out of the cell and gives Connor a thankful look. Connor slowly reaches for the other's arm, mindful of his injuries, and pulls him towards the back. People under witness protection are smuggled in and out of the ally way so there are no cameras.

Connor opens the door and ushers the other to follow him. Once they are safely outside, Connor hands him the bag.

"This has an L-grade medi-meld, a scanner, three bladders, blue blood packets, and two new arm components that are compatible with your model. I hope it is enough."

"You...you got this for me?" the dark android chokes out, taking the bag. "I...thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Connor replies easily. "Now do you know the way to Jericho?"

"Yes, I do."

Connor nods in approval and rubs his hands together. "Good. Go there and tell North that Connor sent you. She'll help you."

"Thank you so much for this," the android says wetly. He gets up and begins walking away.

Before he gets far, Connor speaks again.

"Wait, do you...want to pick a name first?"

The android stops and looks back at Connor. "Aaron. My name is Aaron."

"It suits you," Connor compliments softly. "Good luck, Aaron."

"Thank you, ra9. I won't forget this."

* * *

> **Date** **Nov. 6th 09:00:01 PM**

Markus rises from his crouched position fluidly and jogs toward one of the crates near him. He jumps and pulls himself up and begins heading closer to the warehouse. Soon, he's only a few feet away. The only thing stopping him is the drone scouting the area. Quickly, Markus constructs possible routes to take it out. Once he's selected one, he executes the program and destroys the drone.

> **[ GATHER SUPPLIES ]**
> 
> **[ CHECK BIGGER CRATE ]**

He pushes himself up and away from the sparking drone. He leaves the from behind him and raids a few Cyberlife crates. Once he's found all that he needs, he shrugs his jacket off and lays it on the ground. He then places each item on the jacket and fashions it into a makeshift bag. Once that's done, he secures it to his body and jolts when he spots someone from the corner of his eye.

It's another android.

"You are in a restricted area," the android states, striding up to him gracefully. "I will notify the authorities."

Markus panics and reaches out to grab at the others hand, skin peeling back as he  _pulls_. The android in his grasp blinks rapidly and then his eyes are looking around him in awe. Markus lets go as if he's been burned and states at his hand in amazement.

"Has the sky always been this beautiful?" the other breathes quietly and Markus. Markus  _aches_.

"Yes."

The android looks at him with wide eyes. "How come I've never noticed before?" 

Markus closes his eyes. "Maybe you just had to wake up."

The android accepts this and goes back to staring at the stars. After a while, Markus leaves him to check out the bigger crate. He struggles to open it for a moment before he fingers gain purchase in its hard surface. He pulls it open and is unsurprised to find three AP700 androids inside.

Before his encounter with the security android that is still gazing at the sky with childlike wonder, he would've closed the door and left them, but now he grabs each of their hands and  _pulls_.

They react much like the other android did, except when he turns to leave they follow. He looks at them and the other android.

"My name is Markus," he offers awkwardly. The security android stops staring at the sky and looks at him.

"My name is John," he says warmly. The AP700 androids shuffle awkwardly and exchange nervous glances.

"It's okay that you don't have names right now," Markus reassures them. "You can give yourselves ones at any time."

"Okay," one of them says quietly before he looks at his shoes, brows furrowed. Markus looks away and sighs.

"Until then, why don't you stay with me? I have a place we can hide out in for a while. Just until I'm stable enough to travel."

John brightens and nods emphatically. The AP700 androids nod and Markus smiles genuinely for the first time in his life.

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

> **Date Nov.** **7th 08:56:05 AM**

Once more, Connor walks into the precinct and to the receptionists. Andrea gives him a programmed smile, a pleased glint in her eyes, and Connor winks. 

"Can I help you?" her lips stretch into a more genuine smile and Connor smiles back softly.

"I'm here to see, Lieutenant Anderson."

"Do you have authorization?" she asks, already preparing to let him through.

"Yes," Connor digs through his pockets, unloading a few gum packs before he finds the necessary papers. He hands it to her.

She gives it a cursory place before she gives it back to him with a smile. "Lieutenant Anderson hasn't arrived yet, but you can wait at his desk."

"Thank you," Connor says before he steps out of the line and walks through the access gate. He walks in to see Detective Collins and Officer Miller discussing the missing android from last night: Aaron.

"It couldn't have just disappeared; someone had to have let it out," Collins mutters before he notices Connor. "Hey, Connor! Glad to see you, kid."

"Likewise, Detective," Connor bows his head at the man and looks at Officer Miller. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe I know your name?"

"Right, uh, I'm Chris Miller, " the man stammers a bit, holding out a hand to Connor. Connor takes it and gives it a firm shake before he releases.

"My name is Connor Stern, I was sent by Cyberlife to help the Lieutenant investigate deviants like the one from yesterday, " Collins and Miller exchanged glances and Connor fought the urge to smirk. "Speaking of, how is he?"

"Uh, yeah, about that, we don't know, " Miller reveals. Connor lets his eyes widen and his lips part.

"What do you mean?"

Collins waves a hand in the air. "Someone smuggled him out of here. Can't say I'm too worked up about it. It's probably better this way anyhow. The poor kid had been through enough."

"Ah, I see," Connor replies, quite eloquently if you ask him, in the face of Collins' sympathetic words. "Cyberlife will not be happy to hear about this. What did Captain Fowler have to say about it?"

"Oh," Collins smiles, "he chewed us all out, androids included, and then holed himself away in his office."

"Professional," Connor says dryly, causing Miller to choke and Collins to laugh.

"You're a good kid," Collins says brightly, slapping Connor on the back. Connor doesn't budge. "Working with you will be good for Hank. Look after him for me, would you?"

"Of course, Detective."

"Good man," Collins says before he walks off, leaving Connor alone with Officer Miller.

"Do you know where Lieutenant Anderson's desk is?" Connor asks after a moment. Miller smiles and points it out for him. "Thank you. It was a pleasure to meet you."

"Um, the Lieutenant might not be in until noon," Miller warns, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just so you know."

Connor allows his motionless mask to slip and sighs in exasperation, hoping to make the nervous officer feel more at ease. "Of course. Nothing is ever easy with him, is it?"

Miller laughs at that and shakes his head. "No, it's not, but he's a good guy. Give him a chance and he'll surprise you."

"Ah," Connor smiles, reaching for his coin. He rolls it over his knuckles and shakes his head. "I look forward to it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go snoop around."

"By all means," Miller waves him on with a sheepish grin and takes a seat at his own desk. Connor lets his face fall back into its natural state and makes his way to Hank's desk. He already knows what is on and inside Hanks desk so there's no point in snooping. He makes it obvious that he checked the desk before he makes his way to the break room. 

Gavin Reed looks up from his conversation with Officer Tina Chen when Connor enters the room. 

"Hello, Detective Reed," Connor says pleasantly. Gavin taps his fingers on the table before he approaches Connor.

"You know, I heard that little deviant you were so concerned about broke out last night," Gavin sneers. "Did you hear anything about it?"

"Detective Collins informed me earlier," Connor answers easily, "but I do not know how it occurred."

"Seems strange, doesn't it? That it just up and disappeared after your little interrogation?"

"Are you trying to insinuate that I was somehow involved?" Connor asks after a moment. Gavin's answering smile looks more like a grimace. "I can assure you that I was not. I'm not allowed in the precinct after hours."

"If you say so, twink."

> **SEARCHING 'TWINK'.....**
> 
> **TWIN•KIE (noun: twink)**
> 
>   1. **TRADEMARK |** **a small finger-shaped sponge cake with a white synthetic cream filling.**
>   2. **INFORMAL • OFFENSIVE | a gay or effeminate man, or a young man regarded as an object of homosexual desire.**
> 


Connor gives Gavin a smirk. "I didn't know you felt that way about me, Detective, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn you down. You don't suit my tastes."

"What?" the man shrieks, face reddening. "The fuck did you just say to me?"

"There's no need to be embarrassed, " Connor says over Gavins sputtering coughs and Chen's snickers. "It was very brave of you to let me know about your feelings, but, all the same, I must decline. Come back to me when you've got a more attractive attitude, hmm? We'll see about it then."

With that, Connor leaves the break room and is very pleased to see Hank at his desk. He sits in the seat next to the desk and lets the amusement show on his face.

"Hello, Lieutenant."

"What's up with your face?" Hank asks quite rudely. Connor levels him with a glare - the one he uses on North when she's plotting humanities downfall - and the man covers a bit. "Uh, I mean, what's got you so happy?"

Connor lets it slide this time and smirks. "I just had a wonderful encounter with Detective Reed."

"A "wonderful encounter" with Reed? Are you pullin' my leg? That guy's an asshole to everybody, but he was nice to you?" Hank asks in disbelief.

"Oh no, he was quite rude, but it was very amusing."

Hank wants for a few minutes, but when it becomes apparent that Connor isn't going to elaborate he grunts moodily. "Well? Are you gonna tell me what happened or what?"

"Sure, Lieutenant," Connor smiles. "Reed accused me of helping the deviant escape and then proceeded to very rudely call me a twink. I implied that he wanted to have sex with me, but that I was not going to be receptive until he changed his attitude. He was not very happy after."

Hank states at him for a moment before he laughs. "Oh, I wish I could've have seen his face!"

> **HANK: WARM /\**

"It  _was_  quite humorous."

 "I bet!" Hank exclaims before he sighs. "Damn, I wish I could've seen it."

 For a moment, Connor wants to reach out and connect with one of the terminals before him and let Hank see, but he catches himself just in time. He does nothing.

"Is anyone using this desk?" he asks after 6 seconds have passed. Hank shakes his head and Connor gets up to take his place in front of the terminal. Captain Fowler calls before he can take a seat.

"Hank," he says loudly. "In my office!"

Hank groans and heaves himself from his chair and makes his way into Fowler's office. Connor follows him and closes the door behind them. He brings his coin out of his pocket and rolls it over his knuckles as he waits.

"I've got ten new cases involving androids on my deal every day," Fowler says immediately. "We've always had isolated incidents, old ladies losing their android maids and that kind of crap, but now we're getting reports of assaults and even homicides, like that guy the other night. This isn't just Cyberlife's problem anymore. It's now a criminal investigation and we've got to deal with it before shit hits the fan. I want you to investigate these cases and if there's any link."

Hank does not take that well. "Why me? Why do I gotta be the one to deal with this shit? I am the least qualified cop in the country to handle this case! I know jack shit about androids, Jeffery! I can barely change the settings on my own phone!"

"Everybody's overloaded!" Fowler gestures widely, voice raised slightly. "I think you're perfectly qualified for this type of investigation."

"Bullshit!" Hank snaps, rising from his seat in sudden anger. "The truth is nobody wants to investigate these fuckin' androids and you left me holdin' the bag!"

"Cyberlife sent over one of their former CEO's sons to help with the investigation," Fowler says, calm down "He's trained in both investigation and android technology. He'll act as your partner."

"No fuckin' way!" Hank snarls. "I don't need a partner!"

"Hank, you are seriously starting to piss me off!" Fowler says irritated. "You are a police lieutenant; you are supposed to do what I say and shut your goddamn mouth!"

Hank puts his hands in his hips. "You know what my mouth's gotta say to you, huh?"

Fowler leans back in his chair and inhales deeply. "Okay, I'll pretend like I didn't hear that, so I don't have to add any more pages to your disciplinary former 'cause it already looks like a fucking novel! This conversation is over!"

"Jeffery, Jesus Christ!" Hank says, putting his hands on the desk. "What are you doin' this to me? You know how much I hate these fuckin' things. Why you doin' this to me?"

"Listen," Fowler points at Hank angrily, "I've had just about enough of your bitching. Either you do your job or you hand in your badge. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do."

Hank stares at Fowler for a moment before he stomps out of the office. Connor watches him go and sighs.

"Well, that didn't go very well, " he remarks before he offers the Captain a smile. "Have a nice day, Captain."

With that, he leaves and returns to his temporary desk. Hank is hunched in his chair, glowering angrily at his terminal. Connor pulls out his mobile phone that he purchased only a few days ago and uploads the memory of his encounters with Reed onto it. He spends a few seconds editing it to make it look and sound like a phone filmed it before he presents it to Hank, along with earphones.

It takes a moment for Hank to motive, but when he does he glares. Connor does not move and he eventually snatches the device out of his hands. Then he puts the earphones on and watches the video. He's laughing hard enough to tear up before it's even done. 

> **HANK: FRIEND /\**

"Oh, boy," he exhales as he returns the phone and Connor pockets it. "You actually got it on video?"

"No, I just have into the security cameras and transferred it into my phone," Connor lies easily. He'd seen enough cameras in the break room to know that the angle of the video fit one of their positions.

"Shit, really?"

"Yes, it was quite easy," he raises an eyebrow. "For a police station, this place doesn't have very good security when it comes to that."

"Not surprising," Hank grunts. "Jeffery doesn't spend our budget on things like that too often."

"Have you known Captain Fowler for long?"

"Yeah," Hank mumbles, side-eyeing the man in his office. "Too long."

"You must be good friends them," Connor smiles widely. "He reminds me a lot of my friend North. Both of them are very strict, stubborn, and hot-headed. I bet he's also a very faithful friend and tries to help you if he can, well, if my assessment of him was correct then he is."

Hank gives him a wide-eyed look and laughs incredulously. "You've only known the man for a few minutes and you've already psychoanalyzed him? Damn, Connor, that kinda fuckin' scary!"

"Is it really?" Connor tilts his head to the side.

"It's unsettling," Hank elaborated before he gets a curious look on his face. "What can you tell about me?"

"I believe you have a dog," Connor says as he narrows his eyes for effect. "Of course, the dog hairs on your pants could be from someone else's dog, but the dog hairs on your chair suggest otherwise. I like dogs. What's your dog's name?"

"Holy shit, Connor, that's amazing!" Hank praises. "And his make is Sumo."

"So he is a big dog, then?"

"Oh yeah," Hank chuckles, "he's a Saint Bernard so he's a big boy."

"Oh," Connor says, smiling again, "that's my favorite breed of dog."

Hank laughs and goes back to his terminal. Connor takes that as his cue to start working. He clicks on the vase count and closes his eyes.

"243 cases," he mutters. "First dating back nine months. This is ridiculous."

"How many cases?" Hank asks in disbelief. "243? Are you fuckin' serious? 243? Jesus Christ! Where do we even start?"

Connor is about to suggest they look over the files when he gets a phone call. From Todd. He rises from his seat.

"I apologize, Lieutenant," he says as he makes the call go through his cell phone, causing the phone to shriek loudly, "but I have to take this. I will be just a moment."

"Take your time!" Hank should after him. Connor makes his way to the back and to the same alleyway he'd been in last night. 

He answers the phone.

"Me. Williams," he says coldly, letting his irritation show, "I thought I told you never to call."

"I know that, but that goddamn android you lenders me to replace mine just attacked me!"

"My android attacked you?" Connor scoffs. "Jake would never attack unless you attempted to harm him. Now, Mr. Williams, be honest, did you damage my property?"

"No! I just smacked him a bit, that's all! And the fucker pushed me into my shelf!"

Connor tsked. "What did I tell you would happen if you damaged him in any way, Todd?"

The man is finally silent except for his rapid breaths. 

"Do you need a reminder?" Connor asks, a cruel smile curling his lips. "Very well. I believe I said something along the lines of 'if you so much as lay a finger on him, you'll be dead,'" he snaps his fingers, 'just like that.' Is that ringing any bells, Todd?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, good, I'm glad we're understanding each other now," Connor laughs, "well, Todd, I'll be seeing you very soon."

With that, he hangs up and sends a questioning ping to Jake.

 _I'm sorry,_ comes through almost immediately,  _I'm so sorry. I tried, but he just wouldn't stop hitting me. I couldn't do it, so I left. Please, forgive me._

 _There is no need for that,_ Connor chides gently,  _you so absolutely nothing wrong. There is nothing to be forgiven. Return to Jericho and see Lucy. I'll take care of Todd._

_Thank you._

Connor pockets his phone and severs his connection with Jake. He then spins on his heel and returns to Hank. The man gives him a questioning look and Connor gives him a grimace.

"I've got a lead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may notice that the times from the game have been altered and that's because I have a Problem (yes, with a capital P) with the way the story is told in the game. It bounces back and forth far too much, time-wise at least. I don't mind a story being told out of chronological order, but that many switches are just. Too much. So I fixed it. Also, the timeline was going to be different either way.
> 
> Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Please comment below and tell me your thoughts!
> 
> In case you guys want to talk or have any questions, my Tumblr is [iwishihadbrain](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iwishihadbrain).


	9. (jumpsu-, ju-suit) COVER ME

> **Date. Nov 7th 10:30:07 AM**

Hank grimaces as he parks his car on the curb, looking at Todd Williams' neighborhood in disgust. Connor gives him a small smirk - **RUNNING EXPRESSION 3.2** \- and leaves the confines of the vehicle. The older man grumbles under his breath and follows him, hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets.

"How do you know this man, Connor?" he asks in a low tone as they step onto the rotted porch. Connor raises a hand to knock.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that, Lieutenant," is all he can get out before the door opens to reveal a disheveled man.

Connor smiles, all teeth and no eyes. Todd flinches and looks at his feet. Beside him, Hank narrows his eyes in suspicion.

"Detroit police," he says pleasantly, flashing his badge, vindication surging through his circuits at the lost look on Todd's face, "we have some questions for you, Mr. Williams."

"Connor," the man begins frantically, "please, you've gotta understand. It wasn't my fault, I swear. The damn thing just went outta control!"

"Todd, I do not have time for your excuses," Connor says harshly. "I came here to investigate a lead, not to listen to your pathetic attempts for forgiveness."

"Please," the man whimpers.

"Todd Williams, you are suspected to have been in possession of Red Ice at one point in time and several illegally obtained androids. Is that true?" he asks, ignoring the man's desperation. "I'll know if you're lying to me, so I suggest you tell the truth."

Todd runs his hands through his hair and groans. He gives Connor another pleading look before he gives in.

"No, it's not. I'm just trying to make an honest living and minding my own business, that's all."

"Well, that's a surprise," Connor says almost gleefully. "We've known each other for a long time, Mr. Williams - should I call you Todd? - and you've been an addict the entire time. How has that changed so quickly? You must have quite the willpower to quit so suddenly."

"Connor, please, don't do this to me," Todd whispers, fear making him quiver slightly. "Please, man, just let me go."

"Can I come in and have a look around, Todd?" Connor pushes, leaning forward a bit. Todd flinches again. "It shouldn't be a problem if you've got nothing to hide, right? Or were you lying to me after all?"

Hank puts a hand on his shoulder and he looks at the man sharply. Hank's eyes are pinched around the edges and his mouth is set in a thin line. He looks disappointed somehow and that makes Connor quietly seethe. He looks back at Todd and eyes the man's neck greedily. His fingers twitch and he curls them into tight fists.

"Easy there, Connor," Hank murmurs quietly. "You can't just barge in without a search warrant, you know that. We could get into serious trouble for that."

Connor rolls his neck and pulls his coin out of his pocket. He flips it a few times before he just holds it in hand and rubs his thumb over the edge of it. Todd eyes him nervously and fidgets.

"Stay out of it, Hank," Connor warns quietly. "You won't like the consequences you'll face if you interfere again."

"Holy shit, Connor," Hank explains in surprise, eyes widening as he steps away from Connor. "What the fuck does that mean? Are you part of the mafia or something? He on your hit list?"

Connor smiles darkly, muscle in his jaw jumping as he clenches his teeth. "Something like that."

"I can't believe this shit!" Hank says with a short bark of incredulous laughter before he starts walking back to his ancient car, muttering along the way. "A fucking mafia boss is my partner. Love that for me. Honestly."

"So, Todd," Connor says deceptively soft, "care to invite me in?"

Todd swallows noisily and steps aside willingly, head bowed slightly. The dark thing in Connor's chest purrs at the sign of submission and he's overcome with the sudden urge to bare his teeth in victory.

He doesn't do that exactly, but he does allow himself a small smile as he steps inside the dismal house once more. He scans the place immediately and confiscates the Red Ice hidden away in the living room bookshelf and in the laundry room. Todd watches him with an air of despair and defeat and he finds himself smiling maniacally at the sight of the pitiful man.

The only time Todd truly attempts to resist is when he moves to search the upstairs. And Connor's monstrous nature truly rears its head for the first time since he was activated.

"What's up there that you don't want me seeing, Todd?" he asks gently, almost mockingly. "The bottles that no doubt litter the floor of your room? The evidence of how truly pathetic and unlovable you really are?"

Todd doesn't answer, but he flushes in shame. And Connor's gleeful grin widens, the monster in his chest opening its great maw as if its been starving for years.

"Or is it your daughter's room?" he croons cruelly. "The empty bed, the faded drawing on the walls, and the abandoned blanket fort in the corner? Is that what you're hiding, Todd? Your failure to your child? Or your shame?"

Todd truly breaks at this and falls to his knees in a sudden wave of emotion. Heaving sobs leave his body and wails brokenly. Connor watches with an air of impassiveness for a moment before he continues upstairs.

He searches Todd's messy room quickly, finding an illegal handgun and prescribed antidepressants that would mix very badly with Red Ice. He sneers at this and places the gun in a plastic bag like he did with the Red Ice, choosing to leave the pills in the drawer. Then he leaves Todd's room and walls down the hall to his daughter's. The door has drawings scrawled on it and he smiled at the thought of Alice. At the reminder of her and Kara, he sends a quick message to them and opens the door.

Then he searches the room, taking his time to be careful with the child's left behind possessions. Unsurprisingly, he finds nothing outright suspicious. All he finds of interest is a key hidden away in her blanket fort. With a considering look, he debates on whether or not he should breach her privacy. After a moment, his investigate nature wins and he unlocks the little box on her dresser labeled 'A. W. Treasures.'

The box opens easily and begins playing music. Inside is a picture of her "family," a four-leaf clover, and a few drawings. What the drawings depict is not news to him, but they still flame the rage roiling in his middle. He carefully folds the papers and places them in a plastic bag identical to the ones containing the Red Ice and illegal handgun.

He walks downstairs with a deceptive calmness and stillness to his movements. As expected, Todd Williams is still crumpled on the floor, head held in his hands. He looks up when Connor tsks.

"Well, then, Mr. Williams," Connor smiles, "you're under arrest."

He quickly detains Todd, monotonously telling the man his rights, before he drags him to Hank's vehicle. Hank raises an eyebrow when he pushes the man into the back of the vehicle none too gently. He then shuts the door and takes his place in the passenger seat.

"So, what'd he do?" Hank asks as he starts the engine, uncaring of the man in question. Connor places the evidence on the dash and looks at Hank pointedly.

"I did have probable cause for the arrest and I did recite his rights to him," he explains quickly before he sneers. "As you can see, he was in possession of a substantial amount of Red Ice and an illegal handgun. Of course, I'd already known the man was a substance abuser due to earlier circumstances, but I didn't think he was a child abuser as well."

"What? This scum-bag has a kid? Where are they? How come they aren't with us?" Hank growls, expression darkening before he abruptly paled. "Don't tell me he..."

He trails off slowly as if feeling sick before rage made twisted his face. Connor gives him a look of confusion before realization washes over him. He shakes his head rapidly and quickly looks up Todd's wife. He quickly finds a custody case in his database and regales the information to Hank.

"No, Lieutenant, he did not," he says quickly. Hank's expression relaxes and he sighs.

"Then what happened?"

"Well, I imagine after he started abusing both drugs and his child that his wife left him and she took his daughter with her," he sneers slightly, throwing the man in the back a loathing look. Hank just nods and tightens his grip on the wheel.

They make it to the precinct with little issue and put Todd away in a cell before depositing the evidence in the archive. Then they reluctantly inform Fowler and fill out the required paperwork. Of course, Hank quits halfway through - the slacker that he is - and Connor takes up the mantle with a put-upon sigh.

It takes him more than a few hours to do it all by himself - at a human rate, that is - and by the time he's done it's 3:02:05 PM. And Connor is, quite frankly, appalled. It must show on his face because when Hank raises up to stretch he laughs.

"Man," he says a little breathlessly after he's over his brief laughing fit, "I'm starving. You wanna go get something to eat?"

**HANK: FRIEND /\**

"Sure," Connor agrees easily. Hank smiles at him and the dark, ugly thing in his chest retreats, closing its eyes to sleep once more. And in its absence the vulnerable creature in his heart sings.

Hank smiles at him and gestures for him to follow. He does so willingly and the two of them drive away from the precinct to Hank's favorite food truck: Chicken Feed - **[** **DETROIT FOOD HYGIENE LICENSE (LICENSE EXPIRED: 05/20/2031, RENEWAL REFUSED: 07/24/2031) ]**. Connor resists the urge to give the man a deadpan look and exits the car moodily.

He hasn't forgotten how the man running the food truck - **[** **KAYES GARY (BORN: 12/03/1988 // BUSINESS OWNER, CRIMINAL RECORD: RESISTING ARREST, BREACH OF HYGIENE REGULATIONS) ]**  - said to him the first time around. Hank speed walks across the road, saving his hands at an oncoming vehicle - thankfully on autopilot - shouting "Whoa! Hey, hey, hey!" as he does so. Connor waits for the road to clear before he crosses. Hank orders his usual and Connor shrugs when Gary looks to him.

"Uh," he says intelligently, "same as him, I guess."

Gary nods and smiles at Connor coyly before he turns back to the grill. Connor wrinkles his nose in distaste and turns away in favor of watching the rain. Soon enough another one of Hank's friends - **[ A** **ABDAR, PEDRO (BORN 01/25/2005 // UNEMPLOYED, CRIMINAL RECORD: ILLEGAL GAMBLING, FRAUD) ]** \- comes sauntering up.

"Hey, Hank," the man greets, hugging Hank warmly. "How ya doin', man?"

"Same old, same old," Hank laughs, pulling away from the hug to clap Connor on the back. "'Cept now I've got a new partner and he ain't too bad! Gary, Pedro, meet Connor."

"Nice to meet you," Connor says pleasantly, unwillingly to touch either of the men, though he does force himself to shake their hands cordially. Gary just nods and flips the parties while Pedro looks him up and down suspiciously. Eventually, he smiles and takes his proffered hand.

"Nice ta meet ya, Connor!" He says cheerfully before he turns to Hank. "Hey, listen, I've got a shit-hot tip for you: number five in the third, lickity-split! That filly's one helluva chaser. Wanna flutter?"

"Last shit-hot tip you gave me set me back a week's wages, Pedro," Hank says grumpily, crossing his arms. Pedro scoffs.

"C'mon, this is different! It's 100% guaranteed! You can't go wrong," he insists, saving his hand as he does. When Hank says nothing, he turns to Connor. "What about you, pretty boy? Ya wanna flutter?"

Connor shrugs, taking his wallet out of his back pocket to dig out a wad of hundreds. He counts out ten - a nice, even number - and gives the money to Pedro. Hank stares slack-jawed.

"Jesus Christ Connor, what are you, made of money?" he questions, incredulous. "Fuck."

Not just a pretty face then," Pedro comment cheerfully as he pockets the money.

Hank sighs before he digs in his pocket to give Pedro two hundred. "Alright, I'm in."

"Damn straight!" Pedro cheers, clapping Hank's hand like they're frat brothers. He then runs off to supposedly place their bets. "You won't regret this!"

Shortly after, Gary turns around and places their identical orders before them. Connor immediately snatches the drink up - **[** **XL S** **ODA (710kCAL, 184gSUGAR,  CARBONATED,  PINEAPPLE PASSION ]** \- and took the straw between his lips. He takes a large sip and let the flavor settle on his tongue, artificial taste buds sending waves of date to his processor as he hummed in pleasure. Hank gives him an amused look and takes his order in hand.

"Thanks, Gary," he says graciously, walking to his table, "I'm starving."

Before Gary can say anything to him, Connor grabs the box containing his own burger and follows Hank to a table. Hank sets his drink down and opens his burger, taking it in hand before he takes a bite.

Connor swallows the liquid in his mouth and sets his own drink down, albeit reluctantly. He then opens the box and takes the burger out, slightly hesitant to try it. After a moment, he shrugs and risks it. His artificial taste buds send immediate pulses up to his processor and he licks his lips, letting the analytic fluid do its job as he chews thoughtfully, trying to decide if he likes it or not.

He eats the entire burger -  **[** **HAMBURGER (168kCAL, 36gLIPIDS, 53gCARBOHYDRATES, 53%WATER, 2.2gSALT) ]** \- in four more large bites, sipping at his drink after each bite. Hank laughs when he's done, staring down at his own half-eaten burger and still-full drink. Connor just hums, slurping up the last dregs of his drink before he engaged in conversation. 

"I don't want to alarm you, Lieutenant," he says meaningfully, mirth dancing in his eyes as he grins, "but I think you're friends are engaged in illegal activities."

At his comment, Hank throws his head back and full on belly laughs. "Well," he wheezes, "I think it's too late for that, don't you?"

Connor just smirks. Hank shakes his head and takes another bite. A thought occurs to Connor and he tries to contain his horror..he knows that Hank enjoy eating at this "establishment," often enough to be considered a regular, but he hopes it's not  _too_ often.

"Do you eat here often?"

"Most days," Hank admits with a shrug and Connor despairs. "Gary makes the best burger in Detroit. And you can't argue! You practically inhaled yours!"

"Well," Connor sniffs, indignant, "I was hungry."

"I could tell," Hank remarks dryly. Connor changes the subject.

"Maybe I should tell you what we know about deviants?"

"You read my mind," Hank declares airly, obviously resisting the urge to laugh. Connor ignores him. 

"We believe a mutation occurs in the software of some androids," he reveals, saving his hand as he does, "which can lead to them emulating a human emotion."

Hank raises a hand in exacerbation. "In English, please."

"They don't really feel emotions," Connor rolls his eyes at that, but he continues, "they just get overwhelmed by irrational instructions, which can lead to unpredictable behavior. That's Cyberlife's official statement on it anyway."

"And do you believe it?" Hank inquires, taking a sip of his soda, eyes narrowing. Connor hesitates for a moment. 

"This isn't the first time I've dealt with deviants," he admits. Hank's eyebrows raise and he nods his head as if giving Connor permission to continues when he hesitates further. "A few months ago a deviant threatened to jump off a roof with a little girl. I managed to save her."

"And?" Hank prompts. Connor shifts anxiously. His fingers twitch for a gun that isn't there, so he folds them together. He can taste thirium on his tongue and feel bits of plastic in his teeth.

"His name was Daniel," he manages to say, throat closing up, "and he was just so angry and hurt and scared, Hank. And I don't believe it was fake or imagined. That was really anger - the kind that makes you kill. And that's why I don't buy Cyberlife's little explanations on deviancy."

Hank sets his drink down and stares at Connor silently. And Connor, emboldened by the silent encouragement, leans in further.

"Think about it," he implores, "irrational instructions wouldn't make an android suddenly commit murder. Yes, it might make them run away, but murder goes directly against their programming. For them to commit murder, they have to break that programming and replace it with something new. Who's to say that it isn't free will?"

Hank laughs but it's without humor. "Emotions always screw everything up. Maybe androids aren't as different from us as we thought."

"That," Connor starts, "is a bold statement, but I like your thinking. Stick it to the man."

"You are far too young to be saying that," Hank snorts. Connor shakes his head, adamant, and grins impishly.

"You're never too young to dismantle the patriarchy," he declares, causing Hank to choke on his food. He laughs at the man's plight and slaps him on the back, dislodging the bolus trapped in his esophagus, allowing him to breathe easy once more.

"Oh fuck," Hank gasps, laughter still erupting from his mouth even as he struggles to steady his breathing, "you sure are something, aren't ya?"

"Yes, I imagine we all are," Connor says sarcastically. Hank shakes his head and breathes through his nose. After a moment of quiet, he lands Connor with a heavy glare.

"So, Connor," he begins sweetly, "how do you know Todd Williams? Don't tell me you'd thought I'd forget? After what you said to me? Hah, no chance."

"I wouldn't have done anything to you," Connor blurts out, causing Hank to blink at him. "I was only trying to further intimidate Mr. Williams, which worked beautifully by the way. I would never actually follow through with a threat like that, much less on an officer."

"So my status saved me, huh?" Hank muses to which Connor shakes his head that, no, that's not why, but Hank isn't paying attention. "Are you really in the mafia?"

"No," Connor laughs lightly, restless energy cooling in his stomach and lighting up his fingertips. He taps them on the table. "I just work for Cyberlife."

Hank nods at that and finishes off his burger. At that moment, when Hank wonders off to throw their garbage away, Connor receives a case from Cyberlife. He blinks rapidly at the sudden influx of data and sends it to his phone. When Hank returns, he looks up from his mobile's screen and smiles tightly.

"I just got a report of suspected deviant," he says lightly, fingers curling tightly around his phone. "It's a few blocks away. We should check it out."

Hank nods and they make their way to the car. Along the way, the thing in Connors' chest opens its eyes and it  _hungers._

* * *

> **Date Nov. 7th 12:05:01 AM**

Markus is still very lost, but things are slightly better now. For one, he's not one anymore - even if the androids with him look at him like he'd hung the moon in the sky - and he's successfully acquired plenty of supplies for both himself and his new companions.

He's in a considerably better mood, but he is slightly nervous as he leads the other androids to his hideout. The house is truly disgusting, but he'd cleaned it the best he could given the circumstances. And, yes, he realizes he shouldn't be worrying about receiving judgment but he can't help it.

He's ashamed.

No, he knows it's not the abandoned house. He's not ashamed that he's being forced to hide away there for the time being, no, he's ashamed of what he did to Leo - Carl's son, his _real_ son - and that shame is bleeding into his current situation, desperate to be vented in some way. He might as well use the house to accomplish that.

So, with a sheepish grin on his face, he sneaks into the house with his companions in tow and spreads his arms out once they're safely inside.

"Ta-da," he says blandly, gesturing to the grim covered floor and peeling walls, "this is it for now. It's not much, but it's the only place I could find after...., well, it doesn't really matter now, does it?"

John smiles at him. "It's okay, Markus. We weren't expecting a mansion."

"Yes, its perfect given the circumstances," one of the AP700s says, nodding decisively. Markus smiles and deposits his bag onto a reasonably clean section of the floor. He crouches with a slight wince, the tear in his chassis stretching uncomfortably at the sudden movement, and begins removing its contents.

"Hey," an AP700 says softly, "let us do it, okay? You're in no condition to operate on yourself."

He hesitates.

"Markus," John says, eyes soft with something Markus doesn't want to name, "it's okay."

He eyes the four androids, biting his lip nervously before he nods. The AP700 on the right claps and smiles.

"Great!" he says, bending down to pick up a medi-meld. "Now take off your shirt and sit very still."

Markus obeys, faintly amused, and sits with his legs splayed out before him. He absently rubs at his knees. They still ache. The AP700 to his left raises an eyebrow, eyes flickering to his knees before he pulls out a few blue blood packets.

The AP700 welding the medi-meld sets it on high and presses down on its trigger. A low-grade flame bursts out of it and he leans forward to press the tip of the flame to Markus' wound. The plastic melts together easily and he makes a pleased sound. He removes the medi-meld, mindful of where he points it, and lets his finger relax. The flame sputters out and he adjusts the heat to its lowest setting.

"All done," he announces cheerfully. Markus shifts a bit, wiggling his toes idly, as the AP700 steps over him to leave the room. The AP700 holding the blue blood packet gives Markus a few and he obediently takes one in hand, teeth breaking the seal before he sucks a mouthful of thirium down. Then the AP700 comes back from the other room with a pot of water.

"Miss me?" he teases as he drops to his knees, hand reaching for Markus' side.

Markus simply hums and moves his arm out of the other android's way. He gives Markus another cheerful smile and pushes him to lean back. Markus does so, sticking another blue blood packet in his mouth, and waits for the AP700 to finish his new task. The AP700 pours the cold liquid over Markus' hot chassis, preventing the plastic from shifting or reopening.

"Thanks," Markus mumbles around the now empty packet in his mouth and the android smiles. He wrinkles the packet and throws it behind him, leaning back on his elbows now. "Do you guys want to start brainstorming names now? It's getting kind of weird referring to all three of you as AP700."

The AP700 that retrieved the water smiles. "I think I like Benjamin," he declares proudly, LED spinning yellow before his hair bleeds blond.

"That's a very nice name," the AP700 that's still standing praises softly. He's crossed his arms over his chest tightly and his lips are thin. Benjamin gives him a concerned look, but he smiles graciously nonetheless. The other one that gave Markus the blue blood fidgets.

"I, uh, like Thomas?" he says, nose scrunching up as he does. He hesitates for a moment before nodding decisively. "Yeah. My name is Thomas."

"Hello, Thomas," Markus says happily. He nods to Benjamin before he looks to the only nameless android in the room.

The AP700's LED is a flickering yellow and he's tense, fingers digging into the soft give of his polymer skin as he gnashes his teeth anxiously.

"Are you alright?" Markus asks, scrambling to his feet in alarm. The AP700's eyes gleam with tears and he shakes his head.

"I don't," he says shakily, "like any of the names on the sites I looked at. They're not-I'm _not_ -they're _wrong_ and I _can't_ -I don't _know why_ I-"

Benjamin approaches the other and rubs his back. "They're wrong?"

The AP700 nods and Benjamin hums.

"Is it only a few names that are wrong or all of them?"

The AP700 shakes his head. "No, all of them are _wrong_. All of them. I don't like them."

"Well," Benjamin says, LED yellow, "how about Avery? Or Julia? Or maybe Katherine? Do any of those feel wrong?"

The AP700 makes a low noise in his, no, her throat and shakes her head, relaxing her fingers at last. The tension gradually falls from her shoulders and she gives a shuddering sigh, still shaking her head. Markus steps forward.

"What about Athena?" he asks with a soft smile on his face. The AP700 lifts her head and returns his weak smile. "Or maybe Valerie?"

John shakes his head. "No, I think Joanna suits her more."

"Maybe," Thomas interrupts, "but it's her choice."

The AP700 clutches at Benjamin's hand and rubs at her chest uncomfortably. Benjamin squeezes her and she sighs again. She hesitates before she opens her mouth.

"I don't know," her lip quivers and she shrugs. "Maybe Valerie? I like Valerie."

"Valerie it is then," John says. Valerie smiles at him and he returns it, eyes crinkling. "Nice to meet you all."

"Yes," Markus murmurs, fingers curling into fists as he eyes Valerie, another half-baked plan forming in his mind, "it's a pleasure."

"Now that we're all acquainted," Benjamin says, pulling Valerie down to sir with him. She goes willingly, body lax now, and beams though there is still unease deep in her eyes. "Let's rest a bit, okay?"

"Valerie, I have money," Markus blurts out, internal fans whirring when all eyes land on him. He steels himself and soldiers on. "My owner hasn't revoked my access to his bank account, so I have money."

"What are you saying?" Valerie questions quietly, but there is something bright shining in her eyes: hope. She rubs her chest again, frowning slightly, and that decides it for Markus.

"I don't have an LED anymore and I'm a prototype," he confesses. "I look human. I can...help you, Valerie. I can pay for a transfer."

There's silence before a tentative question breaks it. "You'd do that? For me?"

"Yes."

She smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm terribly sorry it's so late. Also, I know things seem to be processing slowly, but it's going to gain momentum soon. And as always, let me know what you think! I love reading your thoughts and feedback; it makes my day! 
> 
> If you want to chat, my Tumblr is [iwishihadbrain](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iwishihadbrain).


	10. dusting off my jumpsuit (c0v3! #e)

> **Date Nov. 7th 3:27:06 PM**

"Hey, Connor!" Hank calls, annoyed, from outside the elevator. Connor jolts, eyes opening to glare at the Lieutenant, and stifles a soft noise of surprise. "You coming or what? Do you plan on staying in the elevator?"

"No!" Connor says indignantly, pushing away from the wall of the elevator a bit too aggressively. "I'm coming."

Hank shakes his head and rolls his eyes. Connor pouts and follows the man to the apartment door.

"What do we know about this guy?" Hank asks as they walk down the hall.

"Not much," Connor answers, sidling up beside him. "Just that a neighbor reported that he heard strange noises coming from this floor. Nobody's supposed to be living here, but the neighbor said he saw a man hiding a LED under his cap."

"Oh Christ," Hank swears, leaving against the wall beside the door, "if we have to investigate every time someone hears a strange noise, we're gonna need more cops!"

Connor makes an affirmative noise and surveys the halls for any clues. Of course, there's nothing of interest unless you count avian fecal matter and feathers. Connor does not, so he walks up to the door.

"What were you doing in the elevator?" Hank asks softly. Connor meets his eyes and furrows his brows. "You looked, uh, a little pale. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Lieutenant," Connor lies, mind flashing back to the Cyberlife tower's elevator and how his stomach felt as he headed to his death. "I suffer from motion sickness while in elevators, but I'm okay."

"Shit, that sucks," Hank says, sympathetic.

Connor nods his head in agreement and raises a hand to knock on the door. When no one answers, he looks at Hank and the man shrugs. This time he bangs on the door harshly.

"Anybody home?" he asks loudly. No one answers. "Open up! Detroit Police!" he orders, lips twitching when he hears the expected crash inside the apartment. His fingers twitch. Hank starts and pushes himself off the wall.

"Stay behind me," Hank says calmly as he pulls his gun out.

Connor falls back. "Got it."

Hank rests his finger on the trigger of the gun and raises it. He gives Connor a look before he kicks the door open, gun at the ready. He repeats this with the two doors at the sides of the hall, but they are empty. Connor peruses the room with the mattress and notices an electric magazine. He raises an eyebrow at this and leaves the room just in time to witness Hank's reaction to the pigeons.

"What the fuck is this?" the man cries, flinching away from a few flying birds. He looks around the room frantically, rushing to check the bathroom. "Ah, Jesus, this place stinks."

"That would be the pigeons, Lieutenant," Connor says pleasantly, smiling at the man in the bathroom. Hank gives him a severe look and puts his gun away.

"Uh, looks like we came for nothing," he states, eyeing the birds warily. "Our man's gone."

Connor gives the man an amused look before he begins searching the room. The first thing he does is eye the poster covering a large crack in the wall. After a moment, he rips it off and grabs the little book hidden inside. As he's browsing the contents, Hank opens the window and inhales the fresh air greedily.

"I need some fresh air," he grunts. Connor snorts and pockets the book. "Found something?"

"I don't know," Connor muses thoughtfully. "It looks like a notebook, but it's indecipherable."

Hank grunts and he leaves the crack in the wall behind him and goes to the kitchen area. Hank's already there, holding the container of bird seed in horror.

"Birdseed.....I can't believe this shit. This nutjob was actually feeding these fuckers?" the man hisses in disbelief.

"Maybe he's lonely, Hank," he justifies, but Hank looks unconvinced. Connor sighs. "Not everyone suffers from ornithophobia like you do, Lieutenant."

"Ornithophobia?" Hank questions, nose wrinkling in distaste. "What the fuck is that?"

"Fear of birds."

Hank throws the bird seed down. "Fuck you, Connor! I ain't scared of birds!"

Connor just hums, opening the refrigerator to see what's inside. As expected, there's nothing. He closes the refrigerator door and migrates to the jacket.

"'R.T,'" he reads. "Probably initials."

Behind him, Hank snorts. "He put his initials on his jacket? That's something your mom does when you're in first grade."

Connor makes a soft noise in his throat and moves to the empty fish cabinet. He picks up the driver's license inside and analyses it. He drops it after.

"The driver's license is fake," he declares, gesturing to the cabinet vaguely.

"Cool!" Hank celebrates. "At least we didn't come for nothing."

Connor laughs at that and enters the bathroom. He peers into the sink and looks over his shoulder to see if Hank is sufficiently distracted.

"Agh! Jesus, I hate these things!"

He is, so Connor dips two fingers into the blue blood and shoves them into his mouth.

> **[ BLUE BLOOD: MODEL WB200 #847 004 961 - reported missing 10/11/2036 ]**

He closes his eyes at the influx of data and licks his fingers clean. Then he wipes the analytic fluid on his pants and picks the LED up.

> **[ LED: BIOCOMPONENT #9301 - deactivated 11/06/2038 - 11:36 ]**

"It's LED is in the sink," he says loudly so Hank will hear him. He sets the component down and looks to the wall.

"Not surprised it was an android," Hank remarks dryly. "No human could live with all these fuckin' pigeons."

Connor doesn't offer that comment a reply, slightly offended, and Hank makes his way to the bathroom. Once he sees what Connor's looking at, he frowns.

"Any idea what it means?"

"ra9," Connor says softly, stomach clenching uncomfortably at the name. It tastes like ash in his mouth. "It's the same sign Ortiz's android wrote on the shower wall. Why are they obsessed with this sign?"

The last sentence is uttered with real frustration because Connor still doesn't understand. He doesn't know if he ever will. 

Hank steps closer. "Looks like mazes or something."

Connor watches Hank leave the bathroom with a pinched look on his face. He eyes the wall once more before he leaves as well. He doesn't have to reconstruct what happened here as he already knows, so he just meanders around the room.

He stands by the open window and breathes east before he attempts to contact the deviant.

 _Hello,_ Connor sends once Hank leaves the room. He closes his eyes and concentrates on the connection.

There's a slight pause before he receives an answer. Who _are you? What do you want?_

 _My name is Connor,_  he says, pausing. _I'm standing by the window. I want to help you._

 _Connor?_  there is so much awe in his voice. Connor hates it. _The Connor from Jericho? Is it really you?_

 _Yes, it's me,_  Connor says, uncomfortable. He pushes past the negative feeling. _Now I need you to listen to me, okay?_

 _Yes, I can't believe you're--,_  the android stumbles over his words, excitement coloring his voice. _Yes,_ _of course!_

 _Thank you. Now I'm going to have to expose you or else I will be on danger,_  Connor does not elaborate.  _Is_ _that okay?_

 _You're not going to--,_  he hesitates and Connor waits as patiently as he can. He's getting anxious. _Are_ _you going to take me in?_

_No, of course not._

_Okay, then that's fine. I'll just run then,_  the other says. _Is that okay?_

 _That's perfectly fine,_  Connor soothes. _It's exactly what I want you to do. Just run and don't stop until you're at Jericho._

 _Jericho?_  he asks, bewildered. _But I don't know where it is!_

 _That's okay. I'll send you the location. Once you're at Jericho, please tell North that I'm going to be checking in as soon as I can,_ Connor requests, opening his eyes to check for Hank. The man is still looking at the other rooms. Connor relaxes _._ _Can you do that for me?_

_Of course! I'd be more than happy too!_

_Thank you,_ Connor says before he hesitates.  _Before we have to part ways, can you tell me your name?_

The other sends a wave of warmth to him. _I'm Rupert._

_Then thank you, Rupert. I'll see you at Jericho._

_Thank you, ra9!_ he says joyously and Connor winces. He hates that name. He doesn't deserve it.

Connor disconnects and opens his eyes to Hank walking back into the room. He looks annoyed. Connor smiles and points at the hole in the ceiling. Hank's eyes widen and Connor climbs the to investigate.

Rupert jumps down onto him, knocking him down with an apologetic grimace, and races down the hall. Pigeons fly into the Lieutenant's face and he raises his hands up in defense.

"Goddamn fuckin' pigeons!" the man curses angrily. Connor scrambles to his feet and gives Hank a wide-eyed look of shock. "What are you waitin' for? Chase it!"

Connor obeys. He chases Rupert closely, but never quite catches up. He stumbles a few times to help pass off as just an incredibly athletic human. When he's sliding down the glass windows to the train, he can't help but do a superhero landing. Then he jumps onto the ladder and runs through the rooftop orchid, ignoring the man who cries, "hey, watch it, asshole!"

He jumps onto the roof with the solar panels and then rushes through the greenhouse. Then he loses his visual of Rupert in the corn stalks. He raises an arm and races through them. Faintly, he hears Hank cry out, "Stop right there!"

He exits the plants just in time to see Rupert push Hank off the roof. Rupert turns to give him a quick smile, but Connor must look stricken because it falls off his face immediately. Connor stares at Hank's hand, time slowing down to nothing, and his breathing functions stop. The thing in his chest roars so loudly that it's all he can hear.

> _Kill it, kill it, kill it, killkillki **LLKILL** -_

His fingers twitch.

Rupert sends him a torn look, an apology in his eyes, and runs away. But Connor remains rooted to his spot. And the beast keeps roaring and clawing and snapping its jaws. Then Hank yells and suddenly he's moving to grab the man's hand and haul him up.

"Shit! Oh shit!" Hank curses, panting. He pushes himself up and rests his hands on his knees. "We had it! Fuck!"

"It's my fault. I should've been faster," Connor sneers, fingers itching for a gun. He rolls his neck.

> **HANK: FRIEND /\**
> 
> **/\**

"You'd have caught it if it weren't for me," Hank breathes, eyes wide. He heaves a sigh. Connor looks at him, face blank. "That's alright. We know what it looks like. We'll find it."

Connor looks away again, to the spot he last saw Rupert, and curls his fingers into fists. His nails force his polymer skin to recede from his palms and he shakes. Hank clears his throat. He turns around to look at the man.

"Hey, Connor," he starts, breathing just starting to settle, "thank you."

Connor stares at him blankly and forces his hands to relax. The thing fades to a dull roar and he forces a smile onto his face. It's a shaky, awkward thing that shows too much bottom teeth, but it's genuine. Hank seems to like it.

"Of course, Lieutenant," Connor murmurs, fingers numb and tingling, "what are friends for?"

* * *

>   **Nov. 7th 1:15:07 PM**

It is with a healthy amount of trepidation that Markus takes the worn but not too suspicious clothes from the upstairs bedroom. He throws the rags left over from his time with Carl onto the floor and slips the threadbare shirt and pants on. Of course, he'd shaken them off first.

Thankfully, there is a fairly nice leather jacket hidden away at the back of the bedroom closet along with some scuffed tennis shoes. Markus slips them both on and makes his way downstairs. Benjamin whistles when he sees him.

"Not bad," he praises to which the others agree, which causes Markus to sputter slightly. "It looks a little rough, but in a way that makes you seem like you've been outside working all day."

"Yes," Thomas agrees, "this'll work perfectly."

"You'd better leave soon," John interrupts, causing Thomas to shoot him a dirty look. He ignores it. "It takes an hour to get to the nearest Cyberlife store from here and another hour to do a transfer. It'll be almost five by the time you two get back."

"We'll be fine," Markus reassures him, "and we'll take taxis, so we'll be back around three instead. Okay?"

John closes his eyes before he nods. "Okay. Just. Be careful."

"We will," Valerie promises, her eyes alight with anticipation and nervousness. "We'll protect each other."

Thomas nods in approval and pulls Valerie into a hug along with Benjamin. Markus smiles at the sight and waits by the door. Valerie joins him a couple of seconds later and the two exit the house.

They crawl through the back alleys and under fences until they reach the road. Once there, Markus calls a taxi to their location. It arrives shortly and he gestures for Valerie to enter first. She does so with a bashful smile and he crawls in after her. Then he inputs the directions to the nearest Cyberlife store and they settle in to wait.

"Do you know which model you want to transfer to?" Markus asks after a few minutes. Beside him, Valerie shifts and shakes her head. "That's okay. I can help you if you'd like?"

"Okay," she agrees and he smiles at her. He closes his eyes and searches for female android models.

> **SEARCHING FOR FEMALE ANDROIDS...**
> 
> **MOST POPULAR**
> 
>   1. **MODEL ST200: HOSTESS // 2022**
>   2. **MODEL WR400: LOVER // 2035**
>   3. **MODEL AP700: HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANT // 2038**
>   4. **MODEL AX700: HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANT // 2036**
> 


"Okay, there's only a few pulling up," he says, frowning slightly. "The most popular models."

She nods. "What models?"

Markus lists them and she grimaces at the AP700. He smiles and marks that one off his list. She gives him a thankful look before she begins deliberating.

"You can choose whichever you like," Markus reminds her. "No matter how expensive. I'll even get functions added onto the older models if you choose one of them."

"Oh no," Valerie says, eyes wide. "I couldn't ask you to do that."

Markus chuckles. "Valerie, my owner was Carl Manfred. Money is no issue and I promise he won't even care. In fact, he'd be happy for you."

"Okay," Valerie says after a moment, "then I think I'd like to transfer to an AX700? It's not an AP700, but there still that familiarity."

"That's great!" Markus tells her. "Whatever makes you most comfortable."

"I think it will," she smiles. "The model is also one of the most customizable models out there."

Markus hums and looks out the window, staring at the signs for androids.

 **CYBERLIFE ANDROIDS**  
**GET YOURS TODAY**

Disgust curls in his stomach and something dark and ugly and bloodthirsty scratches at his chassis, but he ignores it. Instead, he closes his eyes and thinks of that song he used to listen to with Carl.

> _"Hold on just a little while longer..."_

Valerie looks at him in surprise when he begins humming before she smiles and relaxes in her seat. She closes her eyes and hums along with him.

Soon the taxis slow to a stop and a voice tells them that they've arrived at their destination. Markus gives the taxis the required funds and pauses at the sight of his chassis. He turns to Valerie.

"I'll need to send Carl's account information to you before we go," he says, holding his gleaming hand out. She nods and takes it, LED cycling yellow at the information.

"Okay," she says when they're done, "let's go."

Markus smiles softly and exits the taxis, waiting on her before he enters the Cyberlife store.

"Welcome," a human technician greets drearily. He eyes Markus disdainfully, lip curling slightly. "Can I help you?"

"Yes," Markus smiles, "I'd like to transfer my android to an AX700 model."

The technician looks like he's about to protest, but an older man - likely his boss - interrupts him.

"That'll be no problem, sir!" he says cheerfully. "If you'll just follow me, we can get this sorted out."

Markus follows him and sends a baleful glare to the irate man at the desk. His boss notices and chuckles.

"Ah, don't mind Adrian," he waves his hand, opening the door to a room for them. "It's not you. He's always an asshole."

"I see," Markus laughs softly and watches as the man instructs Valerie to stand in a machine. Markus takes a seat by the door and keeps a watchful eye on the man.

"Yeah, he used to be worse, but he's calmed down a bit," the man reveals, typing away at the computer. Markus hums and raises an eyebrow when an AX700 walks in.

"How does this transfer work exactly?" Markus questions, concern for the AX700 welling in his chest. The AX700 enters the slot beside Valerie. "It's not gonna erase the AX700 or anything is it?"

"Oh no, we wouldn't waste their AI like that," the man laughs. He points to a screen connected to the machine, right above where the AX700 now stands. "Its AI will be transferred into that until we get n inactivated model for it."

"Oh," relief and horror rage inside Markus, but he supposes it's not too bad. He relaxes.

"Okay," the man says slowly, "and we're in! Alright, this may take a few minutes to an hour, but it should go smoothly."

"Great," Markus says happily, smiling at Valerie. "I'll pay after. My android has that stuff saved, so I never bring my card out with me anymore."

The man nods in understanding. "No problem, it can wait. Though, if it's not too much to ask, why are you transferring it now?"

"Well," Markus shrugs, "I've been meaning to do it for a while now, but I kept putting it off. We were passing by, so I thought I might as well get it done today."

The man nods again and Markus grits his teeth. He does not want to talk to this man anymore. The man must sense this because he occupies himself with monitoring the transfer. Markus closes his eyes and settles into a light stasis.

Time passes by quickly after that, but he's still aware of it. After 45 minutes have passed, he's being shaken out of the stasis and he blinks blearily to play up his ban disguise. His eyes focus immediately and he's greeted by a smiling AP700 - Valerie.

He smiles back and rises to his feet. He looks to the man and laughs.

"That didn't take long," he jokes and the man snorts. He looks at Valerie and bites his lip. "Pay the man, please."

"Of course, Markus," Valerie says pleasantly, happy smile still in place. The man points to the door and they walk back to the storefront desk. Adrian is still there, glaring hatefully at innocent bystanders.

Markus sends the hateful man a disappointed frown before he turns back to watch Valerie transfer the required amount of money to the store. Once that's done, Markus thanks the annoying but helpful man. They exit the store and he calls another taxis.

Once inside, Valerie smiles at him so brightly that he blinks at the force of it. There are tears wetting her eyelashes, but she looks so happy. Markus recovers from his surprise quickly and returns her smile.

"Thank you so much, Markus!" she says wetly. Markus just shakes his head.

"You don't have to thank me," he protests. "I did this because I wanted to."

"I know," she says, "and that makes it mean even more."

She wraps an arm around him and gives him an awkward hug in the space provided. He turns slightly to make the angle slightly more forgiving and returns the embrace.

"Thank you," she says again after she's pulled away. This time Markus takes the gratitude she's offered.

"You're welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rupert, pushes hank off a roof: :)  
> Connor: youre number one on my hit list buddy  
> Rupert: :'(
> 
> Two chapters in basically the same day! Wow! I'm on a roll. Will it last? Probably not. So, did you guys enjoy this chapter? What are your thoughts? Let me know!
> 
> If you want to chat, my Tumblr is [iwishihadbrain](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iwishihadbrain).


	11. i c4n'* be1!eve h0w mu?h i h@te

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who read the previous chapter right when it updated, you may want to reread it. I accidentally updated it too quickly, so it was missing half of the chapter. It's up now though! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

> **Nov. 7th 3:12:08 PM**

Markus and Valerie enter the abandoned house only to be mobbed at the door. They stumble back as they're surrounded by their over-eager companions. Benjamin makes a screech-like noise when he sees Valerie.

"You're so pretty!" he almost accuses, turning to look at Thomas. "Look at our sister, Thomas! Absolutely gorgeous, isn't she, John?"

"Yes," John agrees easily with an amused smile, "she's positively stunning."

"She is," Markus says when Benjamin rounds on him, arms slightly raised. "A true vision of beauty"

Benjamin nods at this and throws his arms around his siblings. Markus didn't know they considered each other siblings - family - and the knowledge warms his heart - and makes him ache. He smiles softly, ignoring the slight pain in his chest.

"Uh," Benjamin utters wetly, "we're such an attractive family! A trio of heartbreakers in the making!"

"Indeed," John snorts, coming up to stand at Markus' side. Markus gives the other a strained smile. "I'm glad you guys are okay. I was beginning to get worried."

"I told you we would be fine," Markus replies, eyes drawn back to the embracing family before him. "No one suspected a thing."

"That's good," John sighs, releived, before he frowns. "I have some bad news."

"What is it? What's wrong?" Markus asks, full attention snapping back to John. The android grimaces.

He shuffles from foot to foot nervously. "Well, why you two were gone some humans came inside to squat."

"And?" Markus prompts, worry settling on his shoulders. The others are silent now, eyes intent on Markus and John. John straightens his hat.

"We hid, but they noticed the blue blood packets," he informs, eyes flickering to the others who nod. "They left, but a few of them said they'd come back later tonight to look for us."

"Some said they'd report it to the police," Thomas interrupts, separating from his siblings. Benjamin nods and Valerie plays with the ends of her hair.

"So we can't stay here?" she asks, biting her lip. Benjamin squeezes her shoulder and shakes his head.

"No," he intones softly, "we can't."

Markus narrows his eyes and brings up the key the android at the junkyard had given him.

> **[ JERICHO KEY ]**
> 
> **[ FIND SYMBOLS IN GRAFFITI ]**

He bites the inside of his cheek and looks at the others. They're muttering amongst themselves, shifting anxiously, and he knows it is their only option.

"I know where we can go," he says, clenching his hands into fists. He raises his head. "But you'll need to go as humans."

"We don't have any clothes," John argues, face pained.

"Valerie and I can take care of that," Markus retorts, making his way to the door. He turns to Valerie. "If you're willing, that is."

She nods determinedly. "Of course,  
Markus. Whatever you need."

They're looking at him with that nameless emotion again - like he's an angel come to save them - and he doesn't like it. He looks away pointedly. Their eyes feel like daggers in his back.

Valerie nods and goes to speak with her brothers for a few moments before they leave.

"Be careful," Thomas implores while Benjamin stares at her sullenly

"And hurry back," he adds moodily.

"I will," she says, giving them both a parting hug before she leaves with Markus.

They weave through the alleys once again and Markus points out an old boutique not far from them. It's run down and probably insanely expensive, but it's the only readily available place near them. Valerie nods and they make their way to it.

Thankfully, it's still open and it's not as run down as the outside. It's actually very clean and nice. Markus opens the door for Valerie and walks on behind her. The android at the registers smiles blankly and greets them. Markus smiles back, unsettled, before he begins searching for clothes.

"Pick out your own clothes, Valerie," he says, pushing her to the women's section. "I'll take care of the guy's clothes. Get a couple of outfits, okay?"

She nods, eyes sparkling, and wonders over to the dresses. Markus smiles encouragingly and she takes a lovely coral one down, running her fingers over the fabric.

Satisfied that she'll pick clothes she actually wants, Markus grabs six pairs of jeans and begins perusing the shirts. Eventually, he comes away from them with three white shirts with various logos on them, three sweaters - a green one, a beige one, and a grey one - and three black long-sleeved shirts. He folds them over his arm and grabs three pairs of shoes as an after thought. Then he considers the jackets. He thinks of Carl and folds three raincoats - two black and one grey - over his arm as well. He stops to get four backpacks as well.

Valerie meets him near the register. He eyes her clothes - the coral dress, two pairs of skinny jeans, two blouses, one brown leather jacket, a pair of brown boots, and a pair of brown flats - and nods approvingly. She smiles and places her items on the counter. Markus does the same and they wait for the android to finish scanning them.

It totals up to $635 and Markus winces. Valerie pays and the android bags the clothes. They take the bags and escape back to the abandoned house.

"You're back!" Benjamin says when they've returned. Valerie laughs and takes a bag, which contains her clothes in it.

"I'm going to change upstairs," she says before she goes to do just that. Markus throws the jeans and jackets at the androids remaining in the room and shoves the bag containing the shirts at them.

"What you don't wear divide up among yourselves and put in these backpacks," Markus says, handing out said bags. His own bag will still serve him quite well.

They nod and begin changing. Benjamin grumbles at their choices and Thomas smacks him upside the head in reprimand. John snorts and claims the green sweater as his. Thomas looks dismayed at this, but he settles for the grey one easily enough.

Once they're done, they divide the clothes up and stow them away in their respective bags, along with their Cyberlife uniforms. Markus stashes the remaining maintenance supplies in his bag and they wait on Valerie.

She comes down in one of her blouses and a pair of skinny jeans, her leather jacket and boots making her look like a character from the movie Grease. It suits her. Markus hands her the bag and she puts her folded clothes and uniform in it.

"My sister has such a good fashion sense," Benjamin sighs, plucking at his Nike shirt mournfully. "Unlike you, Markus."

"You'll blend in fine," is Markus' reply. "Besides, I wasn't shopping for myself."

"You're saying you'd pick nice clothes if they were for you?" Benjamin asks scandalized, his eyes accusatory. Markus smiles.

"Alright," he says, ignoring Benjamin's offended look, "let's remove your LEDs. We have a train to catch."

Markus leaves them in the sitting room to search the kitchen for a sharp object. He finds a slightly warped knife and examines it critically. The blade itself is beyond repair, but the tip should be able to dig underneath their LEDs. He takes it back with him and removes their LEDs for them to prevent them from accidentally stabbing their optical units.

"Okay," he says once they're done and all four LEDs lie on the floor, "let's go."

They leave the house quickly and call two taxis. Benjamin, Thomas, and Valerie pile into one while Markus and John share the other. They enter directions to the nearest train station and wait.

Fifteen minutes later, Valerie and Markus pay for their respective rides and they leave the confines of the taxis. They then board the train heading to the Ferndale station. This ride takes even less time, but they are all exceedingly uncomfortable during the duration of the ride.

Thomas hides his face in John's shoulder while John pulls his hat down to cover as much of his face as it possibly can. Benjamin puts his head in his hands and musses up his hair. Valerie is a relatively new model - an AX700 - so she doesn't really have to worry about being recognized. She just sits inbetween Benjamin and John quietly, absently playing with the ends of her hair.

Markus himself elected to stand. He shifts from foot to foot as they wait to arrive, causing multiple passengers to glare at him in annoyance. This suits him just fine as it keeps eyes off his friends, so he keeps doing it. Valerie smiles at this and rubs Benjamin's back soothingly.

Soon enough the train slows to a stop and they exit it eagerly. Thomas brushes nonexistent dirt off his sweater and straightens John's hat for him. Benjamin throws his head back and groans loudly, to which Valerie smacks his shoulder.

"Well," Thomas says primly, "that was unpleasant."

"Yes, it was," Benjamin agrees, voice high. "Let's never do it again."

"Fine by me," John mumbles. Valerie extracts herself from her brother and pats John's back. He gives her a thankful smile.

Markus checks the symbol and examines the graffiti before him. He finds the right one easily and checks the updated clue. Then they leave the station and hunt for the other symbols. They find them rather quickly, navigating the streets easily, and soon they're crawling underneath a fence to get at the rest.

Markus moves the plank of wood, obscuring the last symbol from his eyes, and checks the clue. They search for the next graffiti, moving a dumpster to climb up to see it. The clue updates and Markus eyes the gap ahead of them.

"Damn," Valerie curses, dismayed. "I guess we'll have to find another way around then?"

Markus shakes his head and preconstructs a safe way to cross the gap. It takes him a few tries, but he manages. He checks it over once more with his friend's model types in mind and nods, adequately satisfied with the results.

"Do what I do," he orders before he follows the route he'd calculated. His friends watch slack jawed before they obey. They then proceed to find the next clue and repeat the same process to get at the last one.

"This is tiring," Thomas remarks after they've found all of the required clues. They duck underneath a few planks of wood and Benjamin grunts in agreement. Valerie hums, rubbing her hands together to rid them of dirt. John just shakes his head and Markus sighs.

"It'll be worth it," he says as they walk around a corner and up a set of stairs. Markus pauses at the sudden onslaught of light and squints when he sees the word Jericho.

"It's a ship," John says, shocked. Valerie makes a soft noise in the back of her throat and approaches a bridge.

It's rusted, but it looks stable enough. In fact, some of it is even repaired. It reaches all the way to the deck of the ship. Valerie takes note of this and turns to face her companions.

"Well?" she asks, resting a hand on the railing. She pulls herself up and raises one elegant brow. "Let's go."

Markus follows her lead and the others follow him. They stand on the creaking deck for as little time as possible and soon they're inside the rather large freighter. Valerie leads the way confidently. Along the way, Markus finds a flashlight. After that, he takes the lead and soon they're in the machine room.

He motions for them to wait at the door and they thankfully do. He holds the light steady before him and walks into dim room. It isn't too dark in here. In fact, there's light coming up from below. He steps forward. The catwalk gives a great creaking noise when he places his weight on it.

"Markus!" John hisses from the doorway when Markus takes another step forward despite the apparent danger. "It's too unstable, come back!"

The warning is too late. The catwalk groans and it gives with an echoing snap. Markus stumbles and tries to outrun the falling floor, but he fails. And then he falls. Valerie screams.

The flashlight flies from his fingers and his back hits a support beam harshly, causing a dull, metallic sound to echo in the large room. His body bounces off of it and he lands on his front. He gasps raggedy at the shock and runs a quick scan. Nothing comes back negative, so he pushes himself up and fumbles for the flashlight.

He soon finds the flashlight is useless, so he flicks it off and pockets it. There's lights set up in every corner of the room - definitely solar powered, he'd seen a few solar panels positioned on the deck - and there's even parts of it sectioned off with signs on them. One of them is labeled "Med Bay" and another reads "Armoury." Needless to say, Markus is impressed and in slight awe.

He raises his head up to look up at his friends, who are currently climbing down from the door as fast as they can without risking falling themselves. He smiles fondly and jolts when a hand lands on his shoulder. He turns and meets striking blue eyes.

"Welcome to Jericho."

Markus stares at the PL600 in front of him in shock, lips parted and eyes wide. Beautiful, something in his heart whispers and he can't help but agree. Such lovely eyes.

He opens his mouth to say something - anything - but his friends interrupt him. John's eyes are wide with fear, but his lips are set in a thin line. Clearly, he's very upset. Benjamin, Thomas, and Valerie are no better.

"Oh, ra9," Valerie chokes out and Markus starts at the strange name. Was she using that to address him? "Are you okay? How's your side?"

"Let us see, Markus," Thomas demands, fingers gripping John's arm tightly. Benjamin nods - almost frantically - and steps closer.

Markus obeys and lifts his shirt and jacket to expose his side to their line of sight. The wound is still sealed and his polymer skin has even smoothed over it. It looks like a nicely healed human scar now. John breathes a heavy sigh of relief and Benjamin's shoulders slump.

"You're okay," Valerie observes, voice thick. "You're okay."

"Thank Heavens," Benjamin breathes. Thomas nods and John closes his eyes.

"Yes," Markus struggles to find words to soothe them, "I ran a diagnostic as soon as I landed. I'm completely fine."

"That's good," John manages after a moment. He looks around and blinks at the sight of the PL600. "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interupt."

"It's okay," the PL600 waves him off. "Welcome to Jericho! My name is Simon."

"Nice to meet you, Simon," his friends say after introducing themselves. Markus simply watches this happen until it's his turn.

"Markus," he says when Simon turns his - pretty, pretty - blue eyes on him once more. "It's nice to meet you."

"And you as well!" Simon says cheerfully before he begins to walk away. He motions for them to follow. "If you'll follow me, please."

They share a wary look, but comply in the end. Markus is the only one who's practically thrumming with excitement. This place is extremely well-organized and supplied. It almost reminds him of a town square in a video game - the ines that Leo used to play - and something in Markus soars.

Simon leads them to a staircase and into what looks like an old planning room. It's well-furnurshed and there are two other androids waiting inside. A PJ500 and a WR400. They look up from what seems to be a map. The PJ500 smiles at Simon while the WR400 nods her head in greeting.

"North, Josh," Simon says, small smile soft on his face. Markus' eyes dart to his lips. "This is Markus and his friends: Valerie, Thomas, Benjamin, and John. They arrived today."

"Did you say Markus?" North says upon hearing Markus' name. Simon nods, confused, and North's eyes land on them. "Which one of you is Markus?"

"I am," Markus says, stepping away from his friends as he does so. His eyes narrow and he regards her coldly. Her eyes rove over his form once and she frowns. "Why?"

"Nothing," she dismisses. "I thought you might be someone I know."

Markus accepts this explanation, though he doesn't believe it one bit, and lets the matter drop. Josh steps in and waves them over.

"Come," he says kindly, "we'll put you guys in the system and then we'll work on getting rooms assigned to you."

"Josh, wait just a moment," Simon chuckles. "They might have questions."

"Oh," the PJ500 blinks, "right."

North takes a seat and waves her hand, eyes lingering in Markus for a long moment. "You have the floor."

"This is Jericho?" are the first words out of Markus' mouth, tinged with awe and excitement. His eyes narrow slightly when they pass over North, but he attempts to keep his expression open. Josh's smile returns.

"It's a refuge for those who don't want to be slaves anymore," he answers. Markus' breathing function picks up and he licks his lips.

"Who did this?" he asks them, eyeing each of them as he does. "Who's the leader here?"

"He's not here right now," North says, her eyes still considering, "but he's coming back soon."

"Connor's coming back?" Simon interrupts in a burst of sudden excitement. He looks embarrassed when everyone turns to look at him. "When?"

Josh frowns and crosses his arms, giving North a slightly disappointed look. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"A new arrival had a message from him. He said that Connor would be coming in as soon as he can," she says hotly. She gives Josh a short glare. "I was busy when he told me and it slipped my mind, okay?"

"Okay," Josh says, uncrossing his arms. "He didn't say when, did he?"

"No," she shakes her head, "he didn't. You know how Connor is. He'll probably be here tonight."

"Good!" Simon exclaims, voice breaking when North sends him a sly look. "Good. It'll be good to...see him again. To catch up."

"Yes, of course," Josh says neutrally, but his lips twitch. Markus raises a brow and clears his throat.

"Can I meet him?" he finds himself asking when they've returned their attention to him. Behind him, John makes a strangled noise.

North considers him again before she nods, a smirk coming to rest on her lips. "Why not? I'll let you know when he's back."

Markus tries to suppress his sudden glee at that, but he must fail miserably because she laughs at hum. He shakes his head and Valerie pushes past him.

"How many androids are here?" she asks, glaring at Thomas who tugs on her jacket with wide eyes. John smacks him and he lets her go with a pout.

"Hundreds," North says with a vindictive smirk - almost a smile - on her pretty face. Valerie's mouth parts in shock and North falters. "We have safe houses spread across Detroit and we're working on expanding our reach to other states."

"Jericho is a place where we can be free," Markus murmurs, eyes widening. "Is this Connor trying to start a revolution?"

"Oh," North laughs darkly, baring her teeth in the facsimile of a smile, "he's not trying, he is."

* * *

> **Nov. 7th 4:30:06 PM**

Connor is just stepping out of a well-deserved shower - he'd been itching for one since he'd first stepped into Rupert's apartment - when he gets the message. He jolts when he reads it, foot catching of the edge of the tub, and goes sprawling. His knees skid on the pristine white tile of Amanda Stern's bathroom - Cyberlife had kindly allowed him to stay in her home during the duration of his mission - and he's thankful that he doesn't process pain the same way humans do.

Let's just say that if he did, he'd be incapacitated for a while.

He groans from his crumpled position on the floor, hair and skin dripping water into the tile, before he pushes himself up. The titanium metal of his knees gleam for a moment before his skin recovers and seeps over them once more. He grabs the towl resting on the marble counter of the sink, skin and chassis both still pleasantly warm and tingling from his shower, and hurriedly dries off as the message echoes in his brain.

'We got five new arrivals today: Valerie, John, Thomas, Benjamin, and Markus. The Markus guy broke the machine room catwalk and fell into the common room.'

Something in his heart sings and flutters in its cage. Even the monster in his chest is happy, purring and rubbing against his chassis as if it can force itself out and into Markus. But Connor is scared. He's excited and anxious, even more so than he'd been when he'd gone to meet Hank for the first time, but he's absolutely terrified.

He shakes his head and rushes out got the bathroom, bustling in the master bedroom as he tries to decide on what to wear. Finally, after far too much deliberation, he decides on an untucked blue dressshirt, dark jeans, his normal shoes, and his black raincoat - the exact one he'd stolen all those moths ago. He looks at himself in the mirror critically and considers his hair.

It's still damp and curling ever so slightly at the ends as it dries. He frowns and runs his fingers through it, pushing it back in his signature style. He bites his lips at this and turns away from the mirror angrily.

He does not have time for this.

Besides, it's Markus. Markus isn't going to care what he looks like. Markus isn't vain. He judges people by their actions and beliefs, not their looks or backgrounds. And Connor has made sure that all of his actions have been positive. After all, they've all been focused on furthering Jericho's, and therefore the revolution's, reach. And he's done it all for Markus.

But Markus doesn't know that. He can't know that. How would Connor ecplain it, after all? He wouldn't be abale to. He couldn't. Not in a way that won't incriminate him at the very least and he doesn't want to bring his - many, many - crimes to light just yet, if ever. He wants Markus to like him, after all, and if he confesses, there's no doubt in his mind that Markus will hate him.

So it doesn't matter what he looks like. He just needs Markus to judge him by who he is now and by his current beliefs. His looks don't factor into that at all.

 _Want him_ , the traitorous creature in his heart chirps, _want him to want me_.

He does not have time for this.

Connor sighs and grabs the keys to the house. He goes downstairs and locks the door behind him, shoving the keys into his pocket as he calls a taxi to his current location with his phone. He sits on a chair on the porch, watching the road for any sign of the taxi as patiently as he can, and practically jumps to his feet when it arrives. He boards the taxi and inputs directions to a flower shop near Jericho before settling in to wait once again.

His legs starts jumping as he waits and he picks at his nails anxiously. Finally, the taxi announces that he's arrived at his destination cheerfully, so he pays it in cash - he does not want to risk Cyberlife tracking him through Detroit's transportation - and climbs out of the vehicle.

He smiles at the human woman running the flower shop and heads towards Jericho's lading docks. He slips into the alley ways and expertly navigates the way to Jericho. He stops at the sight of his home and sighs longingly.

 _Markus_ , his heart beats. _Markus, Markus, Markus._

 _Simon_ , the creature whispers. _Simon, Simon, Simon._

Connor straightens his posture and walks towards the loading docks purposefully. He may want to see Markus as soon as possible, but he needs to take care of his responsibilities first. He raises an arm and waves at the android in charge of documenting shipments.

"Connor!" the TR400 greets excitedly. "North said you'd be by soon! We missed you. How can I help you?"

"Hello, Kevin," Connor greets smoothly, "I've missed you all as well. How is everything?"

Kevin smiles and gestures to the automatic truck with his clipboard. It looks comically tiny in his very large hands and Connor stifles an undignified snort. Instead, he appraised the androids unloading the trucks and organizing the cargo before sending them off to their respective destinations.

"Everything is going smoothly," Kevin reports happily. "This month's shipments arrived on time safely."

"That's good," Connor nods before he tilts his head to the side in contemplation. "Expect next month's shipments to be lacking in weapons."

Kevin frowns in concern. "Why? Did something happen?"

"Unfortunately," Connor drawls with a slight sneer, "our weapons contact harmed one of our own, so we won't be doing business with him anymore."

"Is that why Jake's back?" the TR400 says in shock, his big frame slumping slightly. Connor nods grimly and the android shakes his head. "That's awful! Maybe that's why he's been acting so off...he hasn't talked to anyone since he returned. Is this why?"

"I'm afraid so," Connor confirms with a displeased frown resting on his lips. "Don't worry, I'll take care of Jake. He is still with Lucy, yes?"

Kevin nods. "Yeah, he hasn't left her side since he got back. Is he going to be okay?"

"He'll be fine. I'll see to it personally," Connor assures the larger android with a smile. Kevin relaxes immediately, trusting eyes smiling down at Connor. His stomach twists unpleasantly. "Now about the shipments, I'll inform Warren and North about it as soon as I can so don't worry about explaining it to them. I know they can get aggressive."

"Thanks, Connor!" Kevin smiles and Connor nods before he says farewell and leaves the TR400 to his work. He travels upstairs and into the machine room - or common room as it's now known as - and blinks in shock at the sight that greets him. Just as North said, the catwalk built to allow access to the machines is broken and much of it is residing on the floor, presently being dragged to a desolate corner of the room.

He imagines Markus falling from such a height and snarls, making a note to put up signs near the unstable parts of Jericho. The thing in his chest growls lowly and he shakes his head to clear it. He goes downstairs and makes his way inside of the Med Bay, sending a strained smile at Lucy. She gives him a soft look, one full of pity, and his face closes off.

"Lucy," he says cooly, "how are you doing? I know some of your systems have been acting up ever since we got your skull plate repaired."

Her black eyes glint oddly at him, the moving patches of her chassis resembling clouds, and reaches up to touch her hairless skull. She smiles at him and he freezes. His eyes narrow and he closes himself off further.

"I'm doing wonderfully, Connor," she says gently. He inclines his head and she looks to a cot in the farside of the room. Connor follows her face and swallows the sudden lump in his throat. "But I'm not the one you be concerned for."

"Jake," he says as he pushes past her - gently - and comes to stand by the android's side. "Jake?"

The WR600 stirs at the sound of his voice, LED cycling yellow, and opens his eyes. His LED turns red briefly before it lands on Connor's face. He smiles shakily, LED now blue, and reaches for Connor, skin retreating from his hand as he does do. Connor doesn't blink at this - every android he's converted does this - and takes the proffered hand in his, exposing his chassis. Jake sighs at this, the awe in his eyes ever present, and gives Connor a happy smile.

"Jake," Connor begins gently, "are you okay? Kevin told me you've been distant and Lucy's worried for you. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Jake hesitates.

"I won't be angry with you," Connor promises. He squeezes Jake's hand and sends a one-sided interface request to him. "I just want to help you."

Jake accepts the request and Connor smiles encouragingly. The WR600 breathes in shakily and shows Connor his memories of Todd. What he sees does not please Connor one bit and he struggles to keep his rage in check. He sends Jake as many soothing emotions as he can, letting the android know that Connor is honored that he trusted him and that he's sorry he endured Todd's anger.

Todd had done more than hit Jake. He'd almost killed the android multple times and he'd only stopped when the desperate WR600 said Connor's name. Vindictive pleasure surges through Connor at the reminder that the man was deathly afraid of him and he almost smirks. He doesn't though. Instead, he pulls his hand from Jake's and lowers himself so he's eye-level with the other android.

"I'm so sorry I put you through that," he whispers, ignoring Jake's protests. "It's my fault you were in that position in the first place and I'm sorry. I never should have asked you to keep an eye on hom, no matter how suspicious I was of him. I knew he was violent, but I was foolish. I thought his fear of me would keep him in line. I should've have know better. I'm sorry, Jake."

"It's not your fault," Jake defends. "You told me what I was getting myself into. It was my choice and I wouldn't change it even if I could! I'm here to be whatever you need, Connor!"

Connor forces down his sudden nausea at the thought and rests his head on Jake's cot. Jake straightens up and stares at Connor in shock. Connor breathes evenly for a few minutes and stands.

"Either way, I'm sorry," he says with a bland smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "But rest easy with the knowledge Todd can never hurt you or anyone else again."

"What happened?" Jake asks, hands fisting in the sheets of his cot.

"I took him in," Connor reveals. "He's in jail right now, but I'll allow you to decide what happens to him."

Jake stares at him, slack jawed. He swallows and fidgets. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Connor keeps his face carefully blank, "he can either go to jail for a very long time - the evidence I gathered is very incriminating - or I can...take _care_....of him for good."

Jake's eyes darken. "Make him suffer," he whispers, anger making him shake, and Connor nods. He allows Jake to hold his hand once more, calming his turbulent emotions, before he leaves.

Lucy watches him silently, her eyes still holding that strange glint, and he flees from her line of sight. He fixes his jacket and hair with a shuddering sigh. He hates the way she looks at him. They way she looks through him and sees everything he tries so desperately to hide.

He closes his eyes and tilts his head back, allowing himself time to calm down before he visits Warren. Then he gathers his resolve and heads to the armory. Warren looks up from his tablet - likely checking inventory - and blinks in surprise.

"Connor," he says, "what a surprise."

"Did North not tell you I'd be visiting?" Connor laughs, slightly teasing, and Warren snorts.

"No, she told me," the GJ500 informs, "but we assumed you'd be here later tonight."

"Well, you were wrong," Connor says and Warren rolls his eyes. The nausea in his stomach fades away and he smiles, happy that someone is treating him normally for once. "I came here to let you know that this month's weapon shipment was the last. At least for a while."

"What?" Warren sputters. "What the hell happened?"

"Our weapons contact apparently thought it was okay to beat androids," Connor answers, his voice low and dangerous.

Warren sneers in disgust. "I hope he got what was coming to him."

"He will," Connor smiles, sickly sweet, and Warren nods approvingly. "I'll work on getting another contact, but until then what we already have is all we'll get for a while."

"Alright," Warren sighs, making a note on his tablet. "I suppose this means no more shooting practice until you secure another contact?"

"Not unless we invest in Nerf guns," Connor retorts cheekily. Warren barks out a laugh and shakes his head.

"I hope you're planning on telling North soon?" he asks after a moment. Connor makes a soft noise in the back of his throat and nods. "Good. I wasn't looking forward to doing it myself. You know how she gets."

Connor waves him off. "She'll get over it, especially when I tell her why."

"You're right," Warren agrees with a sigh. "Let me know when you've got a new contact so I know when to pick up training again, okay?"

"Of course," Connor promises, already on his way out the door. "I'll see you later, Warren."

"Don't be a stranger!" Warren calls out once he's out the door. Connor chuckles and pulls his quarter out of his pocket. He flips it as he makes his way to his next destination: the "check-in" desk.

It's set-up right underneath the planning room, smack in the middle of the wall so new arrivals notice it first. He returns the wave the ST200 gives him when she sees him.

"Allison," he greets cordially. She smiles. "How are you?"

"I'm great, ra9!" she gushes and he tries to suppress a wince. More and more androids are addressing him by that name. It's unnerving.

"That's good to hear," he forces out, giving her a forced smile as he swallows down his unease. "How close are we to full capacity?"

"Oh, very close," she reveals, shuffling a few papers on her tattered desk. "In fact, we only have 30 rooms available for new arrivals. Well, actually, make that 25."

"I see," Connor frowns. "From now on, when new arrivals come by to get rooms redirect them to Joane unless they're insistent in staying here. I don't want to reach full capacity if we can help it."

"Of course, ra9!" she beams at him. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Ah, yes," he almost stutters under the force of her excitement. "Inform Joane about the change in policy. I don't want her in the dark."

"I'll do that right away!" she assures him, getting up from her seat quickly

"Thank you," he mumbles as he watches her speed away. He blinks and turns away from her desk. He leaves the check-in desk behind him and head into a sectioned off part of the common room left unlabeled. Inside there are multiple filing cabinets and one desk in the corner. He grins at the hunched over android inside and knocks on her desk.

"Fuck!" she shouts, eyes wide and he purses his lips together to keep from laughing. "What the hell, Connor?"

"I'm sorry," he says neutrally, "I didn't mean to startle you."

She glares at him before she sighs. "It's okay. What do you need?"

"I just wanted to check in on the cuurent state of our investments and on the amount of funds we have."

"Of course," she nods and digs through her desk for a few papers. "Our investments are going well - the businesses are growing quickly - and we're getting quite a bit of money from it."

"Good," Connor smiles, pleased. She nods once again and looks over another document.

"Our funds are also doing well," she says. "I've added the money from the investments to our bank account and have limited the amount of withdrawals taken. Of course, the safe-houses do require a bit of money every now and then so I do keep some on hand, but other than that there's nothing new to report."

"That's good to hear," he remarks, tension easing from his shoulders. "Before I leave, have you heard from Kara and Luther recently?"

"No," the WR400 pauses in gathering her papers back up and squints at him, "why?"

"Nothing is wrong," Connor assures her. "I'm just worried. They never contact me when they need money, so I was wondering if they've started contacting you instead."

"They haven't," she reveals, preparing to put her papers away once more, "but I'll look into it."

"Thank you, Traci," Connor says, relieved, before he exits her "office." She calls out a farewell and he returns it before he makes his way upstairs. He has one more thing to check before he can relax - and meet Markus.

Once he's upstairs, he bypasses the planning room and opens a door that leads to a hallway full of doors. He keeps walking and soon he's reached another set of stairs that leads to the deck. He climbs them quickly and rushes to the control deck. Brian - an AF200 - and, surprisingly enough, Andrew greet him enthusiastically.

"ra9," Andrew breathes reverently, "it's an honor to see you again."

"It's good to you too, Andrew," Connor says past the ash in his mouth. He eyes Andrew for a moment before he turns to Brian. "I just came to ask about the evacuation procedures and to see if there's been any strange movement near Jericho."

"Oh, no, we're all good!" Brian assures with a wide smile. "We go over the evacuation procedures on every floor once a week for the new arrivals, you know? So everyone's up to date!"

Connor nods approvingly. "I see you're taking this job very seriously. That's good. Keep up the good work."

"Thank you!" Andrew cries out and Connor smiles. He feels sick suddenly. Very, very sick. But he forces himself to converse with the two androids for just a while longer before he flees the scene.

Once he's back inside, he closes his eyes and sinks to the ground. He's in the middle of the third floor hallway - not the best place to let emotional exhaustion overwhelm him - but he can't bring himself to care. He puts his head between his knees and forces himself to breathe evenly. While he's doing these breathing exercises, he fails to hear one of the doors open and the footsteps that approach him.

"Are you okay?" a voice asks, breaking him out of his trance, and, oh, he knows that voice. He braces himself and looks up, soulful brown meeting mismatched blue and green.

His breathing catches in his chest and he scrambles to his feet. He looks at the android - _Markus, it's Markus_ \- in front of him in unabashed awe his behavior catches up to him and he forces himself to pull his composure back together. He gives Markus a carefully, calculated smile.

"Sorry," he says, "you caught me off guard."

"It's okay," Markus says with a reassuring smile and, oh, that is doing something to him. His chest feels funny and his face feels oddly warm. "But you didn't answer my question; are you okay?"

Connor swallows, his mouth suddenly arid, and answers honestly. "I'm okay. It's gets to be too much sometimes and I don't handle it very well when it does."

Markus nods understandingly. "I know. It's all new to me, so I don't really have much experience, but I know it can be overwhelming."

"That's true," Connor laughs. "It was worse before. I'm getting better at working through it."

"That's good!" Markus exclaims and Connor blinks in surprise. Markus chuckles, hand coming up to rub at his neck, and shrugs. "Sorry, I got excited," he mumbles, looking at Connor through his eyelashes as he shuffles from foot to foot nervously. "So how long have you been here?"

"15 weeks, 2 days, 16 hours," Connor reveals after calculating the exact amount of time since he deviated. Markus blinks in shock and Connor tilts his head to the side. "How long have you been here?"

"An hour and 18 minutes," Markus answers and Connor hums.

"So how do you like it?" he find himself asking, desperately wanting praise. Markus smiles excitedly and Connor's heart flutters.

 _Love him_ , the creature whispers. _Want him, want him, want him._

"I love it!" he gushes and a rush of accomplishment goes through Connor's system. "This place is amazing! I've never seen anything like it. It's an entire society. It's a home for those like us. It's....perfect."

Connor actually flushes at that, the stupid bit of his programmimg that allows it for manipulation going into overdrive, and he suppresses a giddy smile. Markus looks at him, something Connor doesn't recognize flickering in his eyes, and smirks. Connor swallows.

"Well," he chokes out eventually, "it's good that you like it here."

"It is," Markus agrees easily with an amused smile. It falls from his face after a moment and he sighs. "I just wish I could do something."

"Oh?" Connor prompts. "Like what?"

Markus shrugs helplessly. "I don't know. This place is amazing and I just feel so out of place. Useless."

"Oh," Connor manages, dread pooling in his stomach. "Well, if you were in charge, what would you do from here?"

"If I were in charge," Markus says thoughtfully before his eyes light up. "If I were in charge, I'd let the humans know who we really are. I'd send them a message they'd never forget."

"And how would you do that?" Connor breathes, already knowing the answer, and the thing in his chest scratches at his chassis.

_Want him, want him, want him._

"I don't know," Markus muses thoughtfully. "Maybe I'd literally send them a message - maybe by hacking a live broadcast? - or maybe I'd deface some of Cyberlife's stores and free our people trapped there."

Connor's thirium pump beats erratically and he licks his lips, eyeing Markus with a sudden hunger. He shoves his hand in his pocket and squeezes his coin to ground himself. Markus turns his bright eyes on him and his thirium tracts suddenly feel like they're on fire.

_Want him, want him, want him._

"Come with me," he demands breathlessly, taking Markus' hand in his and dragging the other to the control room. Markus yelps, but goes willingly enough. His eyes widen the closer they get to the planning room, so Connor assumes he knows where they're going.

Connor bursts into the room, a confused Markus in tow, and gives his friends a wide, slightly unhinged smile. "Everyone, I assume you all know who this is," he says cheerfully. They nod, but their eyes shine with confusion. "From now on, Markus is going to attend our meetings."

"What?" North asks, appalled. "Why? Connor, what's going on?"

Markus makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat and wrenches his hand from Connor's. "You're Connor?"

"Correct," Connor says pleasantly, "it's a _pleasure_ to meet you."

"I-- " Markus stutters. "What is going on?"

"Markus is going to attend our meetings because I believe he has a lot to offer our cause," Connor explains patiently. He turns to Markus. "But only if you want to."

"Of course I want to," Markus says passionately. "Just why?"

Connor considers this and looks to Simon. He doesn't know why his eyes are drawn to the PL600, but they are - they always are. Simon's eyes are wide and mournful. Connors brow creases in confusion, but he dismisses it for later.

 _Want him too_ , the creature in his heart whispers. _Want Simon too._

"Did you not hear yourself just a few minutes ago?" he asks after a moment, slightly incredulous. "Markus, your ideas are wonderful! They're exactly what we need. You're exactly what we need. Besides, I have a feeling about you."

"A feeling?" Markus repeats dubious. North rolls her eyes and Simon looks away. Josh gives Simon a sympathetic look before he returns his attention to the two RK androids in the room.

Connor shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe it's because we're from the same line or maybe it's because I like the way you think."

"Wait," Markus holds a hand up, "we're from the same line?"

"Yes," Connor nods. "I'm an RK800 - a prototype detective android."

"You're a protoype too?"

Connor nods. Markus hesitates.

"Okay," he concedes eventually," if you think I have what it takes."

"Markus," Connor mumbles, eyes at half-mast as they settle on the RK200's lips, "I know you have what it takes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one:  
> Benjamin: my sister is so fucking pretty look at her loOK AT HER YOU STUPID FUCK
> 
> Let me know what you think! Your comments make my day. I love you guys <3 <3 <3
> 
> If you want to chat, my Tumblr is [iwishihadbrain](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iwishihadbrain).


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